IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Hiotographic 

Sciences 

Coiporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER, NY    MS80 

(716)  873-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  tachniques  at  bibliographiquas 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  tiiie  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  Ati  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pellicul6e 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


D 


D 


n 


y 


n 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


[~T|    Coloured  plates  and/or  illust  ations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
He\\6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  itait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmies. 


D 
D 
0 
D 
0 
D 
D 

n 

0 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^coiories,  tachet6es  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Include:;  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  matdriel  suppl^mjntaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
ob&curcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film6es  d  nouveau  de  faqon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires: 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

c 

/ 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Univtrsity  of  Saskatchewan 
Saskatoon 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAntrositA  de: 

University  of  Saskatchawan 
I       Saskatoon 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  4tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  filmis  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shnll  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — *>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

\ 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

FUR-SEAL    ARBITRATION. 


THE  CASE 


LIBRARY 


The  United  S'fefte'^ 


DKroUR  TUB 


TRIBUNAL  OF  ARBITRATION 


TO  CONVENE  AT  PARIS 


UNDRR  TUB 


// 


s 


PROVISIONS   OF   TIIK   TKKATY    RETWEKN    THE    UNITED 

STATES  OK  AMEUICA   AND  (iUEAT   HKllAlN, 

CONCLUDED  FEliKUARY  29,  18l>2. 


INCLUDING  THE  REPORTS  OF  THE  BERING  SEA  COMMISSION. 


WASiriNOTON,  D.  C: 

OOVEBN31ENT   PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1892. 


fl 


Ti^BLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Pag*. 
I'kkatt  or  Arbitration  of  1892: 

Firat  tivt!  itrticIuH .' 1 

(jneBtioim  mibiiiittfd 2 

UeKiiliitioDS  for  protijction  of  waU 3 

Question  of  fact  may  ho  Hiiltiiiitted 4 

Modiig  Vivendi  of  1892 4 

QiieHtiou  of  duiiiu^res 5 

Printed  Case  of  tlio  ITiiitfd  States 6 

Division  of  Case 6 

i'urtluT  i)roviHion  of  treaty 7 

.loint  ConnuiHsiiin  toiiivi>8tifrnt«8eiiI-Iife 7 

Ke|)ort8  of  ConiniiHsioners 8 

Appendix 8 


PART  FIRST. 


RKLATINO  TO  HISTORIfAI.  AND  .IUUI8UICTIONAL  QUESTIONS. 

Geographical  Sketch  or  Brkikg  Sea: 

Location,  boundaries,  and  dimensions 11 

liering  Strait 18 

Eastern  boundary  ot  lieriug  Sea 12 

Northern  and  western  boundary 12 

Southern  boundary  peninsula  of  Alaska 13 

Southern  boundary  Aleutian  Islands 13 

Islands  in  Bering  Sea 14 

Lnri^e  i)ortion  very  tdiallow 14 

Population,  vegetation,  and  comuierciul  pruductv 15 

III 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


OEOORAPHICAL  8KL..  .a  OF  THB  PrIBILOF  ISLANDS:  ^H*- 

Location 16 

Group  coniiiHts  of  four  islunds 16 

St.  Paul  Island 16 

St.  George  Inland 17 

Otter  Isl    >d 17 

WalruH  iHiaud 18 

AbHcnco  of  liarbura 18 

Cliuiute 18 

Animal  life 19 

luliiibitautH 2U 

Vegetation 20 

DiHlUVKllY  AN1>  OCCUPATION  OV  THE  SUOKK8  AND  ISLANDS  OF  UKRINU  SKA  : 

Itering'H  tirat  expedition .° 20 

lieriug'H  second  expedition 21 

KeHounea  of  Commander  Islands  made  known 22 

DiHtovery  of  Priliilof  Islands ;  due  to  search  for  furs 23 

Cook's  expedition  to  Bering  Sea 24 

8tili^e<iuent  Russian  expeditions 24 

Sborett  and  islands  bocame  Russian  territory  as  early  as  1800 25 

Claims  to  tub  Nobthwkst  Coast  of  America: 

Karly  competition  for  possession  of  coast  of  America 26 

Russian  competition.    Settlement  at  Kadiak  Island 26 

Founding  of  Sitka. 28 

Ih'itisli  competition 29 

Spanish  competition 29 

The  Nootka  Sound  controversy 30 

Treaty  of  1790  between  Great  Britain  and  Spai  n 31 

American  competition 32 

This  competition  certain  to  result  in  international  conflict 33 

Thk  Russian  Ameiiican  Company: 

Its  political  and  commercial  importance 34 

The  outgrowth  of  trading  associations 34 

Chartered  in  1799 35 

Its  riglits  and  privileges  under  first  charter 35 

Its  oliligations 36 

Its  mode  of  government 36 

Ofiicers  of  Im]ierial  navy  engaged  in  it«  service 36 

Paid  no  royalty 37 

Summary 37 

TlIK   UKASE  OK  1821: 

Ukase  of  1821  and  second  charter  of  the  company 38 

Pur])o8eof  the  ukase 38 

Its  title  and  flrst  two  sections 39 

Reason  why  limit  of  one  hundred  miles  was  chosen 39 

This  limit  enabled  Russia  to  protect  seal  herd  of  Pribiluf  Islands 40 


■¥ 

■■  "t: 
■V- 
-A 


M 


CONTENTS. 


Thb  tkahk  of  1R21— Contlnnod.  P«lte- 

UkiMe  dcclurutory  of  cxiatiiiK  rightn 41 

Under  uka8e  of  1799  ff>reign  voiMels  nut  permitted  to  hunt  or  trade  in  iler- 

ing  Soa 42 

Re<|ue8t  of  MiniHtnr  uf  Finance  in   1820  and   1821   that  cruiserH   lie  dis- 

patehed  to  protect  Compitny'H  large  interosta  in  Bering  Sea 43 

Killing  of  fur-seuls  at  aea  to  be  prevented 44 

The  I'igott  affair.     Certain  contracts  with  fonrigners  annulled.     Control 

exerciscil  over  Bering  Sea  i»rior  to  1821 45 

Foreigners  prohibited  from  visiting  waters  Arequeuted  by  sea-otters  and 

fur-seal 47 

The  Figott  affair,  continued 48 

Suutniary.     Protects  directed  to  claim  of  jurisdiction  over  Pacific  Ocean, 

and  to  olaini  to  coast  of  continent... 49 

THK  TKKATIK8  OK   1824  AND   ;.  'J5: 

Settled  the  twofold  dispute 51 

Bering  Sea  not  included  in  terms  nscd  to  denote  Pacific  Ocean 52 

Express  declarations  of  Russian  Government  on  this  subject 5:{ 

Declaration  made  immediately  before  treaty  with  (>reat  Britain 54 

Treaties  recognized  by  implication  rights  claimed  by  Russia  over  Bering 

Sea »<» 

Burden  npon  Great  Britain  to  show  that  these  rights  have  been  lost 57 

By  treaties  Kussia  relinquished  large  portion  of  const  (claimed 58 

Russia's  object  in  excluding  Bering  Sea  from  effect  of  treatiim  was  ]>rotec- 

tion  of  fur  iudustry 59 

PKUIOD    BETWBKN    THK    TKKATIR8    AND    TUK    CK8SION    OJf    ALASKA     TO     THK 

United  Statks  in  1867: 

Russia  continues  to  exercise  ccmtrol  over  Bering  Sea 61 

Third  charter  of  company 61 

High  value  placed  by  company  upon  fur-seal  industry 62 

Waters  froqueiiteil  by  fur-seals  patndled  by  armed  cruisers 63 

Further  instructions  as  to  cruising 67 

Proclamation  of  1864  as  to  tratle  in  Russian  territory  and  waters 67 

Whaling  company  prohibited  from  visiting  waters  freciueuted  by  fur-seals  68 

Period  from  1862  to  1867 68 

Conclusions  from  foregoing  review 69 

CK.SSION  OF  Alaska  to  thk  Unitkd  Statf.s  by  thk  Thkaty  of  1867: 

Russia  ceded  to  the  United  States  a  portion  of  Bering  Sea.     No  objection 

made 70 

Boundaries  of  territory  ceded ; 70 

Cession  nnencunibered 72 

Russia's  rights  over  seal  fisheries  passed  to  United  States 72 

Review  of  jurisdiction  exer(-i8e<l  by  Russia  and  her  motives  therefor 72 

Value  of  furs  taken  prior  to  cession 73 

Their  value  well  known  to  American  negotiators,  and  the  chief  induce- 
ment for  purchase  of  Alaska 74 


Hi 


I 


!  i 


ft  CONTENTS. 

Ckssion  op  At.a»ka  to  tiik  ITnitki>  8TATK8,  KTC— Continued.  P«f«. 

Ucpcirt  uf  Cuii;{ri'H.<«ii>n»l  ouiniiiittue  upon  iiiutives  (or  puroboHo,  and  rights 

thitreby  iimli-rstood  to  huve  been  itcqiiired 76 

Kevouut)  recuivud  by  the  United  States  from  I'ur  indntttry  acquired  f^om 

KiisHiii 77 

Action  ov  tiik  L'mtkd  Statkr  rki.ative  to  Alahka  bincr  thk  ckssion: 
lii^lits  iK-quiruu  i'ruiii  KuHsiu  illuMtratud  by  snb8e(|U»nt  ac^tion  uf  United 

States 78 

Action  of  (Congress 78 

Action  of  the  Kxt-cutive HO 

Keveiiiif  cutters  sent  to  Itcriii^  Sea  to  ]>rot('ct  fur-seal  life 81 

Voastds  seized  in  1886  and  18H7 81 

Cougrcs8rati(i(>s  action  of  Kxecntive 82 

President's  ])roclauiution 83 

Vessels  sei/.d  in  1889 8!^ 

The  Modiii>  Virendi 83 

Action  of  United  States  courts 84 

Snininary 84 

The  United  States  do  not  rest  their  case  alto<rether  upon  Jurisdiction  over 

Bering  Seu 85 


PART  SECOND. 

hki.atino  to  thk  habits,  prkskiivation,  ani»  vamtk  of  thlt  alarkav  seal  hkitn, 
ani>  to  tiik  pkopekty  ok  tiik  unitku  8tatk8  thkkkin. 

Habits  ok  tiik  Alaskan  skal: 

The  I'ribilof  Islands 89 

Climate 90 

Home  of  tlie  fur-seai 91 

St.  Paul  and  St.  George 91 

"  Krectling  grounds  " 91 

"Hauling  grounds  " 92 

Census  of  seal  life  impossible 93 

Determination  of  increase  or  decrease  of  seals 93 

Th'  Musknn  mill  ht'td 94 

Distinction  between  Alaskiin  herd  and  Rnssian  herds 94 

Does  not  mingle  with  Russian  herd 96 

Classification 98 

The  pi. ^      98 

Birth 98 

Inability  to  swim 99 

Aquatic  birth  im)>ossible 102 

Birth  on  kelp  beds  impossible 104 

Poddiuj; 105 


1 


ili- 


CONTENTS. 


▼n 


Habits  or  thf.  Alaskan  hkal — Continued.  P«Ke- 

Locomotion  oulund 105 

Loaniing  to  Hwiiu 106 

Departure  from  iBlniuls 106 

Depenileiice  upon  itH  mother 106 

Vitality 107 

The  bnlh 107 

Arrival  at  iHlands 108 

Aii-ival  of  the  cows 108 

OrKanixation  of  the  hiin-niH 109 

Powers  of  fertiltzutiou 109 

Coition 110 

FastinK Ill 

DiaorKaiiixatiou  of  tliu  rookeries 112 

Depiirturu  from  islands 113 

Vitality 113 

ThecoiM 112 

Ago 113 

Harem  life 113 

Number  of  pups  at  Itirtli 113 

Nourishes  only  her  own  jtup 114 

Death  of  cow  causes  death  of  pup 115 

Feeding 115 

Food 116 

Feeding  excursions 116 

Speed  in  Bwimniing 119 

Departure  from  islands 119 

The  bachelors 120 

Arrival  at  the  islands 120 

Thekillable  class 120 

Feeding 121 

Mingling  with  the  cows 122 

Departure  from  islands 122 

Migration  of  the  herd 122 

Causes 123 

The  course 124 

Manner  of  traveling 125 

Herd  does  not  laud  except  on  Pribilof  Islands 126 

Herd  does  not  enter  inland  waters 127 

The  Russian  henl 129 

MANAGKMKNT  of  the   8KAL  ROOKKRIE8: 

Ruman  management 130 

The  »Umtjhter  of  1868 132 

American  managtmwnt 133 

The  lease  of  1870 134 

Tennsof  lease 135 


in 


VIII 


CONTENTS. 


:i 


MaNADKMKNT  op  TIIK  8RAI.  ROOKRKIR8 — Coilthllieil.  P«K«i. 

AnuMKluieiit  of  1874 UV\ 

IiiveMtlgfttioii  of  1876 VM 

InvcHtiKution  of  1888 137 

MotlKMlg  of  inan»Kt*i>**)iit 137 

UnlicoiiHctl  working  imprftcticiilw 138 

Working  by  Gnveriiimiiit  iin|iriu;tivitblo I'AH 

WorkiiiKB  of  the  luusu  of  1870 139 

CoHdilioH  of  Ike  naliren 140 

Under  tlitt  KiiHHiaii  Coinpaiiy 141 

Uinh-r  Aiiivriotii  coutrol 112 

Improveiiieiit 143 

Govnriiiiieiit  agent 145 

Lrnw(  of  18!t0 146 

ConipariHou  of  leases 146 

ITteticalti 147 

Control  and  domestication 147 

Regulations  for  killing 150 

Protvt'tiou  of  fenwiles 150 

Tliekillable  class 153 

Distnrbanre  of  breeding  Hoals 152 

Number  kilbnl 163 

Manner  of  taking 155 

Driving 155 

Overdriving  and  redriving 158 

Iniprnvement  over  Russian  methods  of  taking 161 

Killing 163 

Salting  and  kenrhing 16:^ 

Improvement  in  treating  the  ckins 163 

Increase 164 

Deckramk  or  tiir  Alaskan  seal  herd: 

Evidence  of  decrra»e 165 

Period  of  Hta<;nati<)n 165 

Oh  Fribilof  Islands 166 

Evidenpe 169 

Along  the  coast 169 

Cause 172 

Lack  of  male  life  not  the  cause 172 

Raids  on  riMtkeries  not  the  cause 174 

Management  of  rookeries  not  the  cause 176 

Excessive  killing  the  admitted  cause 176 

Pelagic  sealing  the  sole  cause 176 

Opiui<ms 177 

American  Commissioners 177 

Dr.AUen 177 

Experts 177 


f    \      I 


CONTENTS. 


n 


Ukibfasr  op  thr  Alaskan  hkai,  iikui*— Cuntinncd.  I'«(ip. 

In  liiiii  liiiiitcrH 179 

White  m>»l<«r8 181 

IiuT»'iiM«'  of  RHitliii);  tU'i-t 183 

C<>in|iiiriHon  of  Heiiliii;(  tlect  anil  <l«i'i-eua« 186 

Pki.aoic  hkai.ing: 

nixloin 187 

Sealing  hy  t'OHHf  Iinliaiis 187 

VohhuIh  uswl 187 

liitroiliiction  of  tin'aiiii'* 188 

iltlh,,,! 18» 

VvmsoIh,  out  (it.  etc 18!» 

llHlillll  lllllltel'H 18!l 

White  hiiiiteis I!H) 

IIo$mIIii I!t0 

WaHtiMif  life 1!H) 

Woiiiiilin^ IJtl 

SiiikiiiK I!t4 

Porceiitii^e  lost  of  thnso  killed 1S>5 

DeHtriietioii  of  female  kouIh 1!KJ 

Testiiiioiiy  of  Hriti«li  furriers l!)8 

Other  Hritish  tt'stiinon.v 2(X) 

Cauadiaii  testinioiiy 'Jol 

Testimony   i'"  V''iericaii  furriers 'Mi 

Exauiiiiation  of  pelajrie  catch  of  1802 203 

Ti'nl  iiuoiiy  of  pelagic  sealerH 205 

Examination  of  catch  of  vexHels  seized 2(Ni 

Destruction  of  pregnant  fenuiles 207 

Keason  jiregnant  females  are  taken 208 

Destrnvtion  of  nursing  females 20!» 

Doadjiupsuu  the  rookeries 212 

No  dead  pups  prior  to  1884 : 212 

Time  of  a)>pearance  of  dead  pups 21H 

Number  of  dead  pups  in  1891 211 

Cause  of  death  of  pups : 215 

Ktlects  of  pelagic  sealing 21(i 

Pl!OTI(CriC)N  AND  rUKSKKVATlON: 

Ollur  »i.al  herd» 218 

Destruction  of 218 

The  Russian  herd 220 

British  i)roteiti(m  of  the  seal 221 

Falkland  Islands 221 

New  Zealand 222 

Cape  of  Good  Hope 221 

British  protection  of  hair-seal 225 

Newfoundland  regulations l/Lj.i 

2710 II 


!,l 


) : 


X  CONTENTS. 

Pkotkction  and  PRE8KRVATION — Continued,  Pnee. 

Jan  Mayen  regulations 227 

Concuireuoe  of  nations 227 

White  Sea  regulations 228 

/  ,            Caspian  Sea  regulations 228 

Fnr-seal  protection  by  other  nations 228 

Lobos  Islands 229 

Cape  Horn 229 

Kurile  Islands 229 

Commander  and  Rubben  Islands 229 

Fkheries 229 

Game  laws 230 

Extraterritorial  Jurisdiction 231 

Irish  oyster  beds 232 

Srotcli  herring  tisheries  act 232 

Pearl  fisheries  of  Ceylon 233 

Pearl  fisheries  of  Australia 233 

French  legislation 234 

It.ilian  legislation 235 

Norwegian  legislation 23fi 

Panama  leginlntion 236 

Mexiciin  legislation 236 

OtluT  cases  of  extraterritorial  jurisdiction 237 

Alaskan  litrd 237 

Unprotected  ccmdition , 237 

NeccHsity  of  its  protection 238 

Thi'  .loint  Conunission 239 

British  recognition 239 

Opinions  of  naturalists 240 

Professor  Huxley 240 

Dr.  Selater 240 

Dr.  Merriam's  circular  letter 240 

Dr.  Hlanchard 241 

Dr.  Giglioli 241 

Professors  Nordenskiold  and  Lil^eborg 241 

Other  iiiituraliHt.s 242 

Dr.  Allen 242 

Canadian  recognition 242 

Opinions  of  London  furriers 243 

Opinions  of  French  furriers 244 

Opinions  of  American  furriers 245 

Opinions  of  pelagic  sealers 246 

Opinions  of  Indian  hunters 247 

Opinions  of  other  witnesses 248 

Conclusions , 249 

Means  necessary 250 


1 
1- 


:  t 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


Pnoe. 
227 
227 
228 
228 
228 
229 
229 
229 
229 
229 
230 
231 
232 
232 
233 
233 
234 
235 
236 
236 
236 
237 
237 
237 
238 
239 
239 
240 
240 
240 
240 
241 
241 
241 
242 
242 
242 
243 
244 
245 
246 
247 
248 
249 


rnoTKCTION  AND  PRK8BRVATION — Coiltinuwl.  P«ge. 

AI)8olute  probiliitiou  of  pelagic  sealing 251 

Limited  prohibition  of  pelagio  Healing 253 

A  close  soafton 258 

A  close  season  iuiprncticaltle 254 

Proliibitiou  of  nso  of  iirearnis 256 

Probiliition  of  pelagic  sealing  in  liering  Sea 256 

Prohibition  of  pelagic  sealing  within  a  zone 258 

Course  of  sealing  vessels 258 

Fogs  in  Bering  Sea 261 

Absolute  prohibition  of  pelagic  scaling  necessary 26-1 

The  seai-skin  inuustky: 

Inth^past 261 

Sources  of  supply 264 

Markets 266 

In  the  present 267 

Sources  of  supply 268 

Dependence  on  Alaskan  herd 208 

Logs  if  herd  destroyed 2(i9 

I4O88  to  United  States 269 

Loss  to  Great  Britain 272 

Loss  to  France 273 

Loss  to  the  world 274 

Need  of  regular  supply  of  skins 274 

Iiivestments 275 

Canadian  investments  in  1890 275 

Contrast  between  British  and  Canadian  investments  in  llJiiG 277 

Canadian  investments  m  1891 277 

Contrast  between  British  and  Canadian  investments  in  1891 278 

Employes  in  Canada  and  London 278 

Value  to  Canada  and  United  States 279 

Employes  in  Canada  and  United  States 280 

Contrast  between  French  and  Canadian  investments 281 

Employes  in  Canada  and  in  other  countries 281 

Canadian  investment  questionable 281 

Pelagic  sealing,  a    peculation 282 

Speculating  on  snmll  supply  of  skins 283 

Occupations  of  vessel  owners 284 

Results  of  protecting  seal  herd 285 

Results  if  seal  herd  not  proti'«ted 285 

Claim  of  thb  United  States  fou  damages: 

Article  V  of  renewal  of  iVorf«»  rirentli 286 

Classification  of  damages 286 

Government  claims 287 

Government  an:l  lessees 288 

Basis  of  computation  ot  damages  to  Government 288 


'I 

II 


XII 


CONTENTS. 


'  !  Ill 


If 


!; 


1; 


I 


Claim  of  tiik  Uxitrd  States  for  damages — Continuod.  Page. 

Thr  lefiHeen'  claim 289 

Basis  of  computation  of  lessees'  damages 289 

Determination  of  possible  catch 290 

Opinion  of  Sir  George  Baden-Powell 290 


CONCLUSION. 

ChararteriHti<'S  of  the  Alaskan  herd 295 

Increase 2iMj 

I  )ecri>a8e 2!)6 

I'olii^ii;  sealing 297 

Russian  control  of  Bering  Sea 297 

ItiTing  Si-a  not  I'afitic  Ocean -  297 

I'nited  States  control 297 

Acfuiiescence  of  Great  Britain 2J18 

liiglits  of  control  nnquestioucd 298 

Investment  f.ontrasted 2JW 

(Questions  for  tribnnal 299 

Must  United  States  submit  to  destruction  of  lierd 2JH) 

Slioiild  not  international  regulations  bo  made 299 

Claim  of  United  States 299 

I'rojiert.v  in  and  riglit  to  protect 300 

Sueli  interest  as  justifies  protection 300 

As  trustee,  right  anil  dnty  to  protect 300 

Pelagic  sealing  must  be  prohibited 301 

Argument  deferred 301 

Tribunal  nniy  sanction  conduct  of  United  States 301 

Tribunal  may  prescribe  regulations 301 

Prayer  for  decision 301 

linssia  exercised  exclusive  right  in  Bering  Sea 301 

(Jreat  Britain  assented 302 

I'ering  Sea  not  I'acilic  Ocean 302 

Kiglits  fd'Unssia  passed  to  United  States 302 

Damages 303 

Great  Britain  and  United  States  should  concur  in  regulations 303 


REPORTS  OF  BERING  SEA  COMMISSION. 

Joint  Rkpout: 

Pr<      *ions  of  treaty 307 

Report 308 

Sources  of  information 308 


la 


CONTENTS. 


XIII 


Joint  Rf.port — Continued.  I'nce. 

Meetings  of  Commission 1^08 

Dnty  to  protect  seal  lierd H09 

Conclnsions  reached 309 

Decrease  of  seal  herd 309 

Further  joint  report  impossible 309-310 

KKIHtKT  OF  TIIK    IJN1TK1>   STATKS   UKKINO  SkA  CoMMISSIONEItS: 

Appointment  311 

A]ipoiutment  of  British  Commissioners 311-312 

Ojeet  of  Connnission 312 

Provisions  of  a<ireenient 312 

Conduct  of  iuvestiKiition 313 

Proceed  to  Itcrin^  Sea 313 

Joint  invcstijjations 313 

Sources  of  information 313-314 

Ket'iru 314 

Formal  appointment 314 

Arrangement  as  to  meetings  of  Joint  Commission 314-315 

Meetings  of  Joint  Commission 315 

Meetings  held  without  formal  records 315-316 

Meetings  continued 316 

Disagreement 316 

Article  IX  of  treaty 316 

Application  of  Article  IX 316-317 

Result  of  such  api)lication 317 

Article  IX  interpreted  by  British  CommisHioners 317-318 

Disagreement  as  to  application 318 

Report  of  Joint  Commission 318 

Necessity  of  separate  report 318-319 

The  liering  Sea  fur-seal 319 

Divisions  of  mammals 319 

Professor  Flower 320 

Distinction  between  fur-seals  and  hair-seals 320-321 

Fur-seals 321-322 

Princi  pal  facts  in  the  life  history  of  the  fur-seal 322 

Homes  of  the  fur-seal 322-323 

Southward  niigratiiui 323 

Pribilof  and  Comnumdcr  herds  do  not  mingle 323-324 

Difference  of  pelage  of  Alaskan  and  Russian  fur-seals 324 

Extent  of  migration 324 

Course  of  nortli ward  migration 324 

Arrival  of  breeding  males  at  island 325 

Battles  on  the  rooktTies 325 

Arrival  and  departure  of  bachelor  seals 325 

Arrival  of  cows 325-326 

Birth  of  the  young 326 


i, 

111! 


Wi 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


I 


K;;i'oiiT  OK  the  Unitkd  Statks  Bkrixq  Sea  Commissioners— Continued. 

Number  of  pups  at  birth 326 

Depi-iidiMico  of  pup  upon  its  niotbor 326 

Cow  8U(kb-a  her  own  pup  only 326-327 

"IWiliug" 327 

A<|U:itic  liirtli  inipoRsiblo 327 

Couipnriitivi!  av/.e  of  bull  and  cow 327 

The  harini 327 

Copulation 327-328 

Fei-tili/iition  of  young  cows 328 

Age  of  pubi-rty  in  cows 328 

Ago  at  wliicli  males  go  in  breeding  groninls 328-329 

Feeding  excursions 329 

Food 329 

Departure  from  islands 329 

Time  fur-seals  remain  on  islands 329 

Length  of  time  of  migration 330 

•Accidental  births  on  coast 330 

Ki-asons  that  Tribilof  Islands  are  the  home  of  the  fur-seal 330-331 

Alaskan  fur-seals  do  not  breed  on  coast  of  Cali  fornia 331 

8ub<1i visions  of  report 331 

CoiiditioHg 332 

Present  condition , 332 

Sourc  s  of  information 332 

Estimates  of  number  of  seals  exaggerated 332-333 

(1)  Kvidence  of  eyewitnesses 333 

I  )i!iTease  on  Northeast  Point  rookery 333 

Visit  of  Commissioners 333-334 

Native  testimony  as  to  decrease 334 

Till'  great  decrease 334-336 

Extracts  from  testinu)uy  taken 335-338 

Didiculty  of  lessees  to  obtain  iiuota 338 

rudisi)uted  increase 338-339 

(2)  luirinsic  evidence  alforded  by  the  rookeries  themselves 339 

The  yellow-grass  zone 339 

Worn  rocks 339-340 

Buiuli-grass  zone 340 

Comparative  size  of  ureas 340 

Decrease  shown  by  rookeries 340-341 

Decrease!  is  in  female  portion  of  herd 341 

DiiBcult  to  notice  decrease  in  females 341 

Difficulty  in  obtaining  quota  after  1887 342 

Mistaking  «/«7  for  cause 342-343 

Decrease  sliown  by  daily  killing 343 

Report  of  Treasury  Agent  Goff 343 


Ifil 


-1 


C0NTKNT8. 


XV 


Page. 
Rkpoht  of  the  Uxitkd  States  Bekino  Sea  Commissioners— Continued. 

Why  rtiHicaHc  i>(  rcmiili'H  was  not  noticeil 344 

DiniiniHlieil  size  of  lian'ins 3-14 

Eftect  of  decrease  of  females  on  mule  life 344 

Cavsr* ^'' 

Where  decrease  of  seals  Hliould  1»e  »oujjht 315 

Cause,  ])elagic  sealing ***> 

Keasons  for  opinion 345 

I  )ecrease  caused  by  man 345 

Condition  of  herd  untouched  hy  man IM5 

Hirth  rate  and  death  rate 31;;  Iil7 

Man  do»!8  not  necessarily  increase  death  rate 348 

Regulation  of  killing 34« 

Interference  with  birth  rate  injurious 348 

Kffeet  of  a  single  young  a  year :M«-31'J 

I  low  birthrate  may  be  lessened 349 

Killing  a  certain  number  of  males  will  not  ull'oet  Idrthrate 349 

Battles  on  rookeries  show  no  lack  of  males ;!49-;r>0 

Testimony  as  to  no  lack  of  males :;50-351 

Decrease  caused  by  killing  females 351 

Natural  condition  of  herd 351 

Classes  of  females 351 

Classes  of  males 351 

On  what  birthrate  depends 351-352 

Explanation  of  diagrams 35iJ-358 

One  reason  females  are  killed  by  pelagic  sealers 358 

Conclusions  from  diagrams 358-359 

Effects  shown  by  diagrams 359 

Possibility  of  restriction 3(iO 

Class  of  seals  killed 3()0 

Driving 360-3(il 

Killing  pups  for  food 3B1 

Criticisms  on  manner  of  driving 361 

Male  seals  not  injured  by  driving 302 

Management 362 

Seal  killing  at  sea  or  pelagic  sealing 363 

Vessels  and  crew 363 

Manner  of  hunting 363 

The  gaff 363 

Indian  hunters 363-364 

Hist  3i;4 

Destruction  of  female  seals 361 

Pelagic  sealers  enter  Heriug  Sea 364 

Nursing  femal«.s  killed 365 

Dead  pups  on  the  rookeries 365 


i,  "^ 


I  ! 


I 


m 


\  m 


i( 


I  i 


i 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
Hkport  of  the  United  States  Bering  Sea  CoMMiasioNERs — Continned. 

Boring  Sea  Hoaling  Reason 363 

Catcli  of  sealing  vessels 8C5 

Indiroriniinate  killing 366 

I'ercuntaKS  of  females  in  catch 367 

Letter  of  C.  M.  Lanipsou  &  Co 367-368 

Opinion  of  Sir  George  Baden-Powell 369 

The  London  Trade  Sales 369 

Waste  of  life 369-370 

Great  numbers  wounded 370 

Percentage  of  seals  lost 370-371 

Growth  of  pelagic  sealing 371-372 

Comparison  of  sealing  on  land  and  at  sea 372-373 

Decri-aso  of  herd  caused  by  pelagic  sealing 373-374 

Prohi1)iti<m  of  pelagic  sealing  necessary 374 

Limited  ]irotection  inade(iuate 374 

A  zone  of  prohibiti<m  inadequate 374-375 

Discrimination  by  pelagic  sealers  impossible 375 

Impossible  to  maintain  a  zone 376 

A  dose  season 376 

But  it  must  priictically  jirohibit 376 

Other  remedies  of  no  avail 376-377 

Prof.  W.  H.  Flower 377 

Progress  of  extermination 377-378 

Kaids  on  the  rookeries 378 

Compinison  of  raids  and  pelagic  sealing 378 

Kc^commendation  as  to  management  of  islands 278-379 

Siimmarn 379 

Conclusions 379 

Seals  have  decreased 379 

Decrease  caused  by  pelagic  sealing 379 

Sn]>press  pela.i^ic  sealing 380 

AiTKXinx  A:  ■ 

Sidlx  sink  whiii  kiUed  in  thewatei- 381 

Hair-seals 381 

Fur-seals 381  :{82 

Hair-seale 382 

Antartic  .  jr-seals 382 

Hair-seals 382-383 

Ii(-ason  seals  sink 383 

Appkxihx  B: 

Ddlci  of  arriralu  of  fur-seal  at  Prihilof  Islands  lS7ti-1891 385 

First  arrival  of  ItuUs,  cows,  and  pups  at  St.  Paul  Island,  Bering  Sea, 

1872-1891,  inclusive  (from  the  official  record) 385 

First  arrival  of  bulls,  cows,  and  jmps  at  St.  (ieorge  Island,  Bering  Sea, 
1871-1891,  inclusive  (from  the  official  record) 386 


CONTENTS. 


XVII 


Page 
sd. 
365 

:«» 

366 

367 

367-368 

369 

369 

369-370 

370 

370-371 

371-372 

372-373 

373-374 

374 

374 

, 374-375 

375 

376 

376 

376 

376-377 

377 

377-378 

378 

378 

278-379 

379 

379 

379 

379 

380 

381 

.........         oOl 

381  382 

382 

382 

382-383 

383 

385 

ring  Sea, 

385 

jring  Sea, 
386 


ArPKNDIX  C:  I'aKe. 

1  (I  MH  (/««<!/«  arehom  on  land  or  tee;  do  not  nwim  at  first,  and  van  not  nurw  in 

the  water  387 

All  seals  bom  un  laixl  or  ipn 3S7 

Nursing  iuipoHsible  iu  water 387 

Young  seals  dreiul  tbe  water 387-3X9 

Appkndix  D: 

Natural  enemU'n 391 

The  killer-whale 391 

AnrKNm.x  E : 

Food  of  the  fur-seal 391 

Conlcnis  of  stomachH  of  fur-nval  killed  at  thi'  I'rihilof  Inlands 391 

Kxaniination  made  on  I'ribilot' iHlaiids 393 

Conteuts  of  tttoniaebs 393-394 

Contents  of  slomnrhs  offnr-senh  killed  in  the  Xorth  I'avijie  (kraii 'Ml 

Examination  made  at  VVasliington,  D.  C 394 

Couteutsof  Mtomaehs 395 

Con(!luHion  as  to  food  and  feeding 396 

271(i m 


*  i  i 


!    i   I 


I 


lii 


lii; 


LIBRARY 


Case  of  the  united  states. 


INTRODUCTION. 
The    United   States   of  AMieiica   and    Great    rn^ty  <»f  Arin 

tratiou  of  WM. 

Britain  entered  into  a  Treaty  on  P^ebruary  2i), 
1892,  "to  provide  for  an  amicable  settlement  of 
the  questions  which  have  arisen  between  their 
respective  Governments  concerning  the  jurisdic- 
tional ri<^hts  of  the  United  States  in  the  waters  of 
Behring's  Sea,  and  concerning-  also  tlie  preserva- 
tion of  the  fur-seal  in,  or  habitually  resorting  to, 
the  said  sea,  and  the  rights  of  the  citizens  and 
subjects  of  either  country  as  regards  the  taking 
of  fur-seal  in,  or  habitually  resorting  to,  the  said 
waters";  and  they  resolved,  by  the  Treaty,  "to 
submit  to  arbitration  the  questions  involved." 

The  first  five  articles  of  the  Treaty,  which  is    ^''r8<  Wve  urti. 

Cl08. 

published  in  full  in  the  Ai)pendix,'  relate  to  the 
organization  of  the  Tribunal  of  Arbitration  and  to 
the  pre})aration  and  presentation  to  the  Tribunal 
of  the  Cases  of  the  respective  Gx^vernments.  The 
articles  which  embrace  a  statement  of  the  (pies- 
tions  submitted  to  arbitration  are  as  follows: 


2710- 


'  Vol.  I,  i>.  1. 


INTRODUCTION. 


^^111! 


'■!i: 


QdPHtionH  8  u  b  • 
mittwl. 


Article  VI. 

"In  rle(M(Hn<;  tlio  matters  subinittetl  to  the 
Arbitrators,  it  is  aj^reed  tliat  the  tbllowiiij''  Hve 
points  shall  bo  submitted  to  them,  in  order  that 
their  award  shall  embrace  a  distinct  decision 
upon  each  of  said  five  points,  to  wit: 

"  1.  What  exclusive  jurisdiction  in  the  sea  now 
known  as  the  liehnnj^'s  Sea,  and  what  exclusive 
rights  in  the  seal  fisheries  therein,  did  Ilussia 
assert  and  exercise  prior  and  up  to  the  time  of 
the  cession  of  Alaska  to  the  United  States  f 

"2.  How  far  were  these  claims  of  jurisdiction 
as  to  the  seal  fisheries  recognised  and  conceded 
by  Great  Hritain  < 

"  3.  Was  the  body  of  water  now  known  as  the 
Behring's  Sea  included  in  the  phrase  'Pacific 
Ocean,'  as  used  in  the  Treaty  of  1825  bet>/eeii 
Great  Hri tain  and  Russia;  and  what  rights,  if  any, 
ill  the  Behring's  Sea  were  held  and  exclusively 
exercised  by  Russia  after  said  Treaty  1 

"4.  Did  not  all  the  rights  of  Russia  as  to  juris- 
diction, and  as  to  the  seal  fisheries  in  Behring's 
Sea  east  of  the  water  boundary  in  the  Treaty 
between  the  United  States  and  Russia  of  the  3()th 
March,  1867,  pass  unimpaired  to  the  United 
States  under  that  Treaty  f 

"  5.  Has  the  United  States  any  right,  and  ii 


1  'l:il|ii! 


INTRODirrTION. 


tl   to   the 

iviiijr  five 

rder  that 

decision 

e  sea  now 
exclusive 
id  Russia 
e  time  of 
tesf 


M 


nsdu^tion 

'if 

conceded 

H 
■^ 

m\  as  the 

'Pacific 

'■>■: 

bet>/een 

M 

ts,  if  any, 

-'-Ni 

chisively 

M 

8  tojuris- 

■* 

Behring's 

m 

e  Treaty 

« 

'  the  3()tli 

- 

[i  United 

.■*i 

80,  what  right  of  protection  or  property  in  the    Q"«'«H«>n8  sub- 
fur-seals  frequenting  the  islands  of  the   United 
States  in  Behring's  Sea  when  such  s(ials  are  found 
outside  the  ordinary  three-mile  limit?" 


Article  VII. 

"If  the  determination  of  th(^  foregroing  ones-  R«KniatioiiH 
tions  as  to  the  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  shall  leave  the  subject  in  such  a  position 
that  the  concurrence  of  Great  Britain  is  neces- 
sary to  the  establishment  of  Regulations  for  the 
j>roper  protection  and  preservation  of  the  fur- 
seal  in,  or  habitually  resorting  to,  the  Behring's 
Sea,  the  Arbitrators  shall  then  determine  what 
concurrent  Regulations  outside  the  jurisdictional 
limits  of  the  respective  Governments  are  neces- 
sary, and  over  what  waters  such  Regulations 
should  extend;  and  to  aid  them  in  that  deter- 
mination the  report  of  a  Joint  Commission  to  be 
appointed  by  the  respective  Govermnents  shall 
be  laid  before  them,  with  such  other  evidence  as 
either  Government  may  submit. 

"The  High  Contratiting  Parties  furthermore 
agree  to  cooperate  in  securing  the  adhesion  of 
other  Powers  to  such  Regulations." 


for 
humIh. 


it,  and  ii 


'^lii' 


T 


Jill 


P  INTRODUmoN. 

Artk'le  VI it.  '     , 

QnoKti.iii  ot  tint      '<Tli('  Hiuli  ( 'ontractiiiji'  Ptirt'u's  liaviiiw-  t'ouiul 

iiiii.v  bcHiil)Uiitt<'il.    ,  ,  ,,  . 

tliomsclvcs  iinahle  to  a^nn^  upon  a  retoroiUH' 
which  sliail  inchuU*  the  (jucstioii  of  tlu'  ha1>ility 
of  each  for  the  injuries  aUe<ie<l  to  have  been 
sustaine«l  l)y  the  other,  or  by  its  citizens,  in 
connection  with  the  claims  presented  and  nr«»ed 
by  it;  and  bein<»'  soHcitons  that  this  subordinate 
(juestion  shouM  not  interrupt  or  hniji^er  (Uday 
the  submission  and  (U'termination  of  the  main 
questions,  (hi  a<»ree  that  eith<M'  may  submit  to 
tlie  Arbitrators  any  question  of  fact  involved  in 
said  claims  and  ask  for  a  findiiifi-  thereon,  the 
question  <»f  the  liability  of  (Mther  Government 
upon  the  facts  found  to  be  the  subject  of  further 
nejrotiation."  - 

Modus  ruendi  ot     On  Ai)ril   18,  1892,  the  Govermnents  of  the 

1892.  •  ' 

United  States  and  Great  Britain  cele})rated  an- 
other Treaty,  known  as  the  Mo^htti  Vivendi ^^ 
whereby  it  was  a<»Teed  that  duiino-  the  pendency 
of  the  Arbitration  the  British  Government  would 
prohibit  its  subjects  from  seal  killing-  in  tlie  east- 
ern part  of  Bering-  Sea,  and  that  the  United  States 
would  limit  seal  killing  on  the  Pribilof  Islands 
to  seven  thousand  five  hundred  seals;  and  in 
Article  V  of  the  Modm    Vivendi  the  following- 


♦ 


'  Vol.  I,  p.  G. 


INTROnrcTION. 

(|uestinii  of  <liiin!i«rG»  was  Hubiiiittud  to  tlio  iVi'bi- 
trators: 


I 


-.a 
-f 


ARTFCf.K    V. 

"If  tho  result  of  the  Arhifratioii  l)o  to  ulRrni  (/newt ion oCiiiim. 
the  right  of  Ih'itish  scalers  to  take  seals  in  Hehriiij;- 
Sea  within  the  bounds  claimed  by  the  United 
States,  under  its  purchase  from  Russia,  then 
compensation  shall  be  nuuh?  by  the  United  States 
to  Gn^at  liritain  (for  the  use  of  her  subjects)  for 
al)stainin<^  from  the  exercise  of  that  riffht  din'in<»- 
the  pendency  of  the  Arbitration  upon  the  I)asis  of 
such  a  regulated  and  limited  catch  or  catches  as 
in  the  o])inion  of  the  Arl)itrators  might  Iwive  been 
taken  without  an  undue  diminution  of  the  seal 
herds ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  result  of  the 
Arbitration  shnll  be  to  deny  the  right  of  British 
sealers  to  takt;  seals  within  the  said  waters,  then 
compensation  shall  be  made  by  Great  Britain 
to  t'  ■;>  United  States  (for  itself,  its  citizens  and 
lessees)  for  this  agreement  to  limit  the  islaml 
catch  to  seven  thousand  five  hundred  a  season, 
upon  the  basis  of  the  difference  between  this 
number  and  such  larger  catch  as  in  the  opinion 
of  the  Arbitrators  might  have  been  taken  without 
an  undue  diminution  of  the  seal  herds. 
■    "  The  amount  awarded,  if  any,  hi  either  case 


1  im 


mat 


M: 


INTRODUCTION. 


i:!:il 


'ill 


iiNUli 


.ii-'i 


ISilliill 


li!li!li| 


shall  be  such  as  under  all  the  circumstances  is 
just  and  equitable,  and  shall  be  promptly  paid.' 


Printed  Caso  of 
Uuitud  States. 


In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Article 
III  of  the  Treaty  of  February  29,  1892,  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  has  the  honor 
to  submit  to  the  Arbitrators,  duly  appointed 
in  virtue  of  Article  I  thereof,  this  Printed  Case 
of  the  United  States,  accompanied  by  the  docu- 
ments, the  official  correspondence,  and  the  other 
evidence  on  which  it  relies. 
Di vision  oi  Case  The  body  of  the  Ccise  is  divided  into  two 
pjirts.  The  first  part  embraces  a  consideration 
of  the  first  four  questions  contained  in  Article  VI 
of  the  Treaty,  and  is  introduced  by  a  brief 
geographical  and  historical  review  of  Bering  Sea 
and  its  adjoining  coasts  and  islands. 

The  second  part  relates  mainly  to  the  fifth 
question  in  Article  VI  and  to  Article  VII,  and 
involves  a  consideration  of  the  right  of  protection 
and  property  in  the  fur-seals  frequenting  the 
Pribilof  Islands,  when  outside  the  ordinary 
tlu'ee-mile  limit.  These  topics  will  require  a 
somewhat  detailed  inquiry  into  the  seal  life  and 
industry. 

There  will  follow  a  bnef  consideration  of  the 
question  of  damages  submitted  to  the  Tribunal 
of  Arbitiatiou. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Further  provision  was  made  in  the  Treaty  '>f  viIi"n*orrreaty.'' 
February  29,  1892,  as  foHows: 

Article  IX. 

"The  High  Contracting  Partitas  have  agreed ^i;/;;^;*;,;;;;;;^^^^^^^^ 
to  appoint  two  Commissioners  on  the  part  of  eaili'*^"'  ''*"• 
Government  to  make  the  joint  investigation  and 
re|30rt  contemphited  in  the  preceding  Article  VII, 
and  to  include  the  terms  of  the  said  agreement 
in  the  present  Convention,  to  the  end  that  the 
joint  and  several  reports  and  recounnendations  of 
said  Commissioners  may  be  in  due  form  submitted 
to  the  Arbitrators,  should  the  contingency  therefor 
arise,  the  said  agreement  is  ac(;ordingly  herv^in 
included,  as  follows: 

"Each  Government  shall  appoint  two  Com- 
missioners to  investigate  conjointly  with  the 
Commissioners  of  the  other  Government  all  the 
facts  having  relation  to  seal  life  in  Behring's  Sea, 
and  the  measures  necessary  for  its  proper  pro- 
tection and  preservation. 

"The  four  Commissioners  shall,  so  far  as  they 
may  be  able  to  agree,  make  a  joint  report  to 
each  of  the  two  Governments,  and  they  shall 
also  report,  either  jointly  or  severally,  to  each 
Government  on  any  points  upon  which  they 
may  be  unable  to  agree. 

"These  reports  shall  not  be  made  public  until 


w 


INTRODUCTION. 


i. 


<i  III  lii 

■:;!illi,. 


!  M 


I 


,,.'i!ri 


III! 


they  sliall  be  submitted  to  the  Arbitrators,  or  it 
shall  appear  that  the  oontingeiicy  of  their  being 
used  by  the  Arbitrators  can  not  arise." 
Reports  of  Com-      The  four  Couuiiissioners  named  by  the  tw(» 

iissioiicrs.  •' 

GoN'ernments  have  united  in  a  joint  report  upon 
certain  points  under  consideration  by  them;  and, 
havin*^  failed  to  agree  upon  other  jmints  consid- 
ered by  them  in  their  joint  conferences,  the  two 
Commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  United  States 
have  united  in  a  se})arate  report  to  their  own 
Government.  The  joint  and  sej^arate  reports 
areap})ended  hereto  for  the  intormation  and  con- 
sideration of  the  Tribunal  of  Arbitration. 
Appendix.  The  documents,  <»fl[icial  correspondence,  and 

other  evidence  submitted  with  this  Printed  Case 
will  be  found  ctmtained  in  two  printed  Volumes 
and  a  portfolio  of  maps  and  charts,  constituting 
togethei'  the  Appendix.  The  Volumes  will  be 
referred  t(>  iri  the  Case  thus:  "Vol.  I,  p.  1," 
and  the  maps  and  charts  will  be  indicated  by  the 
nuuibers  marked  on  them.  The  lithogra})hic 
illustrations  will  be  referred  to  by  the  pages  of 
the  Appendix  wliich  precede  them. 

The  Government  of  the  United  States  under- 
stands, however,  that,  under  the  terms  of  the 
Treaty,  it  may  hereafter  present  "additicmal  doc- 
uments, correspondence,  and  evidence,"  and  it 
reserves  the  rijrht  to  do  so. 


Drs,  or  it 
)ir  being' 


the  two 
ort  uj)oii 
sm;  and, 
s  consid- 
tlie  two 
(d  States 
leir  own 
'  reports 
and  con- 
»n. 

lice,  and 
ted  Case 
Volumes 
istituting 
i  will  be 
I,  p.  1," 
id  by  the 
ogTa})hic 
pages  of 


PART  FIRST. 


RELATING  TO  HISTORICAL  AND  JURIS- 
DICTIONAL QUESTIONS. 


2716- 


d 


is  under- 
s  of  tlie 
onal  d(  K> 
"  and   it 


IIIM- 


.>?i 


iill 


i'liti! 


II! 


i  I      : 


4 


I  mm 


H 


|!IP 


!!'  i ; 


PART    FIRST. 

RELATING    TO     HISTORICAL    AND    JURIS- 
DICTIONAL   QUESTIONS. 


GEOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH    OF    BERING    SEA. 

Berm<r  Sea  is  the  body  of  water  lying-  between  „ie;"tid"'dhueJ" 
tlie  Arctic  Ocean  and  the  North  Pacitic  Ocean. '*'"°'*- 
It  is  connected  with  the  former  by  Bering  Strait, 
and  witli  the  hitter  chiefly  by  the  opening  which 
i.s  found  between  the  westernmost  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands  and  the  peninsula  of  Kamchatka.  It  is 
sometimes  referred  to  and  treated  as  a  great  land- 
locked sea.^ 

Generally  speaking,  it  may  be  regarded  as 
a  triangle,  with  the  vertex  in  Bering  Strait 
and  bounded  on  the  east  bv  the  mainland  of 
Alaska,  on  the  north  and  west  by  Siberia  and 
the  peninsula  of  Kamchatka,  while  its  southerly 
boundary  is  fonued  by  the  peninsula  of  Alaska 
and  the  line  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  extended  to 
Kamchatka. 

It  has  an  area  of  about  873,128  square  miles.' 


'  Flndlay's  North  Piiciflc  Directory,  2(1  ed.,  I^ondon,  1870,  p.  517. 
■'Unless  oflitTwiy.s  Ktiitt'd,  all  int^nHuroineiitB  are  giveu  in  Eng- 
lidh  statute  miles,  uf  which  there  are  G^i  to  a  degree. 


u 


'nil 


m 


m.:\ 


.|i!|ili:i 


:i  l;i 


12 


SKETCH    OF    HKR1NG    SKA. 


Boring  Strait 


KiiMtfni    IioiiikI 
arv  ol'  Heriiig  Sea 


Tho  distance  from  HiM'in}?  Strait  to  the  soutliern 
bouiulary  of  tlie  Aleutian  Chain  is  about  1,()7S 
miles,  and  its  }»Teatest  wid*  i  frotn  east  to  west 
about  1,437  miles. 

Tt»  the  north  is  liering  Strait,  fifty-eight  miles 
in  width,  but  in  its  narrowest  portion  are  situated 
the  two  Diomede  Islands.  The  shores  of  either 
side  of  the  strait  are  steej)  and  rocky. 

The  eastern  boundary  of  the  sea  begins  in  a 
lofty  hill  at  C!!ape  Prince  of  Wales,  the  western 
limit  of  the  continent  of  America  and  the  eastern 
limit  of  Bering  Strait.  From  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales  ihe  Atnerican  coast  stretches  to  the  south- 
ward in  a  line  broken  mainly  by  the  deep  inlets 
of  Norton  Sound  and  Bristol  Bay,  between  which 
are  Cape  Uomanzof,  Kusko(juim  Bay,  nd  Cape 
Neweidiatn.  The  coast  is  jyenerallv  low  and 
marshy,  no  hills  of  any  considerable  size  being 
visible.  South  of  Bristol  Bay  it  shoots  out  in 
a  southwesterly  direction  into  the  long,  narrow 
peninsula  of  Alaska,  reaching  westward  almost 
to  the  longitude  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales.  The 
chief  rivers  entering  Bering  Sea  along  this  bound- 
ary are  the  Yukon  and  the  Kn.skokuim. 
Nortiimi  and     The  uortliem   and  western   boundary   is    in 

i'.il«!rn  bimuilar.v. 

marked  contrast  with  the  eastern.     It  is  ruyued 
thr(^»ughout,  the  mountains  growing  higher  and 


',.1 


1S 


!I'm!i 


SKETCH    OF    BERtNO    SEA. 


u 


southern 

rmt  1,078 

to   west 

gilt  miles 
B  situated 
of  either 

gins  in  a 
3  western 
le  eastern 
Prince  of 
he  south- 
3ep  inlets 
en  which 
nd  Cape 
low  and 
ze  beins" 
ts  out  in 
^,  narrow 
d  almost 
es.  The 
is  bound- 

ly  is  in 
s  rugged 
^'her  Mud 


higher  as  the  chain,  which  eventufdl y  forms  the 
backbone  of  the  peninsula,  extends  south.  The 
shore  has  several  indentations,  the  chief  one  of 
which  is  the  Gulf  of  Anadyr,  into  which  flows  the 
Anadyr  River.  • 

The  peninsula  of  Alaska,  forming  a  part  of  the  Southern  i>oiin.i- 
southern  boundary  of  Bering  Sea,  is  four  hun-oi'Aiiiski*. 
dred  and  fifty-six  miles  long  and  about  fifty 
iniles  wide,  and  consists  of  a  more  or  less  level 
tract  interrupted  by  single  mountain  peaks  or 
clusters  of  ])eaks.  Between  these  peaks,  espe- 
cially toward  the  western  extremity,  are  low- 
lying,  marshy  gaps,  which  form  portages,  used 
by  the  natives  for  carrying  their  boats  across 
from  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  Bristol  Bay.' 

The  chain  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  completing  sontiipm  iMtm  ■! 
the  southern  boundary  of  Bering  Sea,  consists  ofiaiu'is.' 
about  forty  principal  islands  and  a  considerable 
number  of  islets  and  rocks.  From  the  ])eninsula 
of  Alaska  these  islands  sweep  in  a  curve,  convex 
toward  the  south,  to  the  southward  and  west- 
ward for  one  thousand  and  seventy-three  miles 
to  the  island  of  Attn,  and  thence  north  and 
west  two  hundred  and  five  miles  to  the  Com- 
mander  Islands,  which  are  regarded  bj'  some 

'  KecliiH,  Nouvelle  G<5o}{iai)Lie  miiveiselle,  17  vultiiiies,  Faria 
187.5-1891,  vol.  XV,  p.  201. 


Tmm 


14 


SKETCH    OF    BERING    SEA. 


■|!f!!li;iii: 


:il!iill!:il 


;iUi|,|;j 


1 


t;:-:' 


III  Ml 


!  I 


'H, 


ijiiiiiil 
i  lii'iil; 


laiuls. 


^""*''!''"" '.'"""/'■  iiooorraijhers   as    a    part   of    the    same    chain.* 

iiry.     Ali-iitiiiii  Is-  ""       "^      I  • 

Kroin  the  Coiiiinander  Islaiuls  to  the  Asiatic 
coast  the  distance  is  one  lunidred  and  ten  miles 
The  hir^est  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  are  Uni- 
mak,  Unalaska,  and  Unniak,  the  two  former 
being  about  seventy-five  miles  lonj^.  The  straits 
or  passes  se|)aratin<f  the  islands  are  of  various 
widths,  those  in  the  easterly  half  beinj^  j^ener- 
ally  narrow  and  but  few  of  them  available  for 
navigation.  The  most  important  are  Unimak 
Pass,  eleven  miles  wide,  and  Amukta  or 
*' Seventy— two "  I'ass,  forty-two  miles  wide. 
The  entire  chain  is  of  volcanic  origin,  and  lofty 
peaks  rise  from  most  of  the  islands.  Some 
Alaskan  or  Aleutian  crater  is  almost  constantly 
in  activit}'.  More  than  thirty  mountains  have 
at  various  times  been  reported  active,  and  new 
islands  have  been  thrown  up  by  volcanic  action 
since  the  discovery  of  the  region  by  the  Russians."* 
ifiintids  ill  ni<rin<{  'J'he  chief  islands  lying'  within  lienn<»"  Sea  are 
the  following:  St.  Lawrence,  St.  Matthew,  Nnui- 
vak,  Karaginski,  and  the  Pribilof  Islands. 
Large  portion      A  i)eculiar  feature  of  Berino-  Sea  is  the  exten- 

veiy  buallow.  '  '^ 

sive  bank  of  soundings   which  stretches  off  for 
two  hundred  and  fifty  or  more  miles  from  the 

'Vivien  de  Saint-Martin,  Nouvean  Dictioniiaire  ile  (i(5ograpuie 
univt-rselle,  Paris,  1870,  vol.  I,  p.  116;  Kiicyclopa'dia  of  .  eojj- 
rapl.y,  revised  ed.,  Fliihulelpliia,  ISSS,  vol.  Ill,  p.  :M4. 

-  Kcclus,  vol.  XV,  p.  202;  North  Pac.  Dir.,  p.  U»8  et  8cq. 


Sea 


-| 


SKETCH    OF    THE    PKIHILOF    ISLANDS. 


15 


le  chain.* 
le  Asiatic 
ten  miles 
s  are  Uni- 
ro  t'onner 
rile  straits 
nf  various 
inj?  •'•ener- 
fiilable  for 
B  Unimak 

nukta     or 
iles    wide. 

and  lofty 
Is.  Some 
constantly 
aiiis  have 
,  and  new 
nic  action 
Russians.""' 
\^  Sea  are 
evv,  Nuni- 
iids. 

the  exten- 
es  off  for 

from  the 


^. , 


American  coast,  renderin"'- the  easterly  i)ortioii  I''"'?*!,,''"''*'"" 
of  the  sea  very  shallow.'  The  charts  show  that 
throii<»'hout  <me-third  of  t!ie  sea  the  de])th  of  the 
water  does  not,  f^enerally,  exceed  fifty  fathoms, 
and  they  also  show  that  theaverajie  depth  of  the 
whole  sea  is  very  considerably  less  than  that  of 
the  adjoininfr  ocean.^ 
The  shores  of  Berino-  Sea  are  but  thinly  i)Oi)U-    rx.i.niation,  vor- 

^  J    I      I         <'tiiti(iii    uimI   com- 

lated,  the  native  inhabitants   of  those    now   ),e-"'^"«^'"i  l«"«i"«t»- 

longing-  to  the  United  States  being-  Esquimos  and 

Aleuts.''     The  veg-etation  of  the  coasts  adjacent 

to  Bering-  Sea  consists  mainly   of  rank  grasses 

and  (in  the  more  southern  parts)  of  alder  and 

willow.      There   are  no    agricxdtural    products, 

though  the  interior  valleys  display  considerable 

richness  of  vegetation.*     The  chief  commercial 

jiroducts  of  the  sea  and  its  coasts  are  fur-bearing 

animals  and  codfish. 


GEOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH   OF   THE  PRIBILOF 
ISLANDS. 

The  group  of  islands  known  as  the  Pribilof    Location. 
Islands  is  situated  in  the  shallow  part  of  Bering- 

'  See  North  Pacilic  Dir.,  pp.  517,  567. 

-  See  also  Wallace's  Island  Life,  New  York,  1881,  p.  295,  map. 

3  Reclus,  vol.  XV,  p.  225. 

'North  Pacific  Dir.,  p.  .510:  Encycl.  of  Geog.,  vol.  Ill,  p.  3-14; 
Wappiiiis,  Handbuch  der  allgemeiueu  Geographic  und  Statistik, 
Leipzig,  1855,  vol.  I,  part  I,  p.  298. 


% 


If} 


SKETCH    OF    THE    PRIIJILOK    ISLANDS, 


B] 


.M'fl. 


liiiiH 


P  E'l 


"'"■!   nil 

|!!lir,:  "ill 

liiii'iji 


iii.i 


,J|:i'iiii 


of 


Location.  {^^j,^  i,j  .^i^^nt  latitude  57°  N.  aiul  lou^ritud*'  1 10^ 

W.  It  is  of  volcanic  origin'  und  fur  reniovod 
from  otlior  land,  the  nearest  adjacent  points  beinjf 
Unalaska  Island,  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
and  fourteen  miles  to  the  southward;  Cape 
Newenham,  upon  the  mainland  of  Alaska,  distant 
three  hundred  and  nine  miles  in  an  easterly 
direction;  and  St.  Matthew  Island,  distant  two 
hundred  and  twenty  n»iles  to  the  northward. 

fironp  coiisistH  The  j^roui)  consists,  in  the  order  of  their  maff- 
nitude,  of  St.  Paul,  St.  George,  Otter,  and  Wal- 
rus Islands.  The  first  two  are  separa+od  by  forty 
miles  of  water.  The  last  two  are  within  six 
miles  of  St.  Paul. 

St.  Paul  isiami.  The  largest  of  these  islands  is  St.  Paul,  situate 
in  latitude  57°  10'  N.  and  longitude  170°  20'  W. 
It  is  from  northeast  to  st»utliwest  thirteen  miles 
long,  with  a  maximum  width  of  six  miles.  Its 
area  is  about  forty-two  square  miles;  its  shore 
line  forty-two  miles.  The  highest  hill  attains  an 
altitude  of  six  hundred  and  thirty-three  feet ;  three 
others  exceed  five  hundred  feet  in  height.  The 
island  comprises  rocky  uplands,  rugged  hills, 
and  broad  valleys,  alternating  with  extensive 
bogs  of  moss  and  heather,  some  of  which  contain 
fresh- water   ponds.      Considerable    stretches  of 

'  RecluB,  vol.  XV,  p.  205. 


8KKTCII    OF    THK    IMMUILOF    ISLANDS. 


17 


ii.lt' 1  TO'' 
iviiiovcmI 
nts  lK'in<j 
hundred 
d ;    Capo 
:a,  distjuit 
eiiHterly 
istant  two 
ward, 
heir  inag- 
and  Wal- 
l  by  forty 
vithiii  six 

111,  situate 

0°  20'  W. 

een  miles 

niles.     Its 

iU  shore 

attains  an 

'eet;  three 

ht.     The 

ged  hills, 

extensive 

li  contain 

etches  of 


sjuulv  heach  honlor  some  of  the  bays,  but  most  St.  I'uui  islmul. 
of  the  shores  are  rocky.  The  photoj^n-aphs  sub- 
mitted with  this  Case  will  enable  tlie  Tribunal 
to  form  a  conception  of  tiie  ru<y<^edness  of  the 
shores  and  of  tiie  irreifularitv  and  (Mmfusion  of 
the  lava  bloclcs  that  cover  them.  The  avera^^o 
heiji'ht  of  the  upland  is  not  over  one  hundreil  and 
fifty  feet,  but  three  small  i)eaks,  one  of  whicii 
in  particular  has  the  a[)pearance  of  a  crater,  attain 
a  heij^ht  of  nearly  six  hundred  feet. 

Aboutforty  miles  to  the  southeast  of  St.  Paul  lies  j^^^JJ-  "'""'•s*'  '«" 
St.  George,  in  latitute  56°  35'  N.  and  lonj^itude 
169°  30' W.  Its  length  istenmiles,whileits«,n-eat- 
est  width  is  about  four  and  a  half  miles.  It  has  an 
area  of  thirty-four  square  miles,  and  a  coast  line 
of  thirty  miles.  On  St.  George  the  coast  rises 
precipitously  from  the  sea,  and  is,  for  the  most 
part,  a  succession  of  cliffs,  with  not  more  than 
six  or  eight  miles  of  low-lying  shores  and  not 
over  a  mile  of  sandy  beach,  whereas  large  stretches 
of  the  shores  of  St.  Paul  are  of  the  latter  charac- 
ter. St.  George  contains  two  hills,  more  than 
nine  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  united  by  mod- 
erately high  ground.  Its  general  altitude  is  about 
hreo  times  that  of  St.  Paul. 

Otter  Island  lies  six  miles  south  of  St.  Paul,    ^^t''' island. 

It  is  the  only  one  of  the  grou})  upon  whicli  are 

found  evidences  of  recent  volcanic  action.     It  is 
2716 3 


■'!  •:;! 


'lifiJiii 


■■I  i     "\i 


'I  iiriiii 


tg 

Ottor  Island 


SKETCH    OF    TIIK    PUIHILOF    ISl.ANDS. 


about  tliroo-fotirthrt  of  a  mile  lon«r  mitl  lisilf  as 
broad.  ItH  north  shon*  i.s  low,  with  a  broken, 
rocky  beaeh ;  elsewhere  its  coiist  is  marked  by 
steep  clitts,  which  attain  a  maximum  heij^ht  ot" 
three  hundred  feet. 

Wuirus  i8ian<i.  Walrus  Island  lies  seven  miles  east  of  St. 
Paul.  It  is  a  narrow  ledw  of  lava  about  half  a 
mile  loufif,  and  so  low  that  in  stormy  weather  it 

•*■  •  is  washed  over  by  the  waves. 

Ai.soiuo  of  linr-  'niore  are  no  harbors  at  any  of  these  islands, 
thouj^h  both  at  St.  I'aul  and  St.  Geor;;'e  there  is 
anchorajfe  for  small  vessels  in  moderatelv  calm 
weather.  Durinj;*  the  prevalence,  however,  of 
winds  from  certain  directions  it  is  impossible  to 
load  or  unload  vessels  of  any  kind  in  safety. 
Rocks  or  reefs  are  found  in  the  neighborhood 
of  both  these  islands. 

There  are,  really,  but  two  seasons  u})on  the 
Pribilof  Islands.  Sununer  may  be  said  to  bepn 
in  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  winter  in  Novem- 
ber, the  chauf^e  fnmi  the  one  to  the  other  bein<^ 
very  rapid.  Throuj^hout  the  sununer  the  climate 
is  humid  and  disajj^reeable.  Dense  foj^s  })revail 
and  han^  in  heavy  banks  over  the  islands,  the 
atmosphere  is  rarely  clear:  .(iid  the  sun  is  seldom 
seen.  So  dense  is  the  lo<^",  that  navigation 
in  their  vicinity  is  rendered  extremely  hazard- 
ous, and  it  is  often  impossible  for  navigators  to 


Cliuiitto. 


I 


{I'iiil 


SKKTCII    OF    THK    I'HIIUI-OF    ISl.AN'DW. 


19 


i)l  lialf  as 

a  lirokcu, 

narked  by 

lic'iy;lit  of 

^rtst   of  St. 

bout  half  a 

weatht'i"  it 

eso  islands, 
•<ife  there  is 
•ately  cahn 
ovvever,  of 
i|M)ssihle  to 
in  safety, 
ighborhood 

8  upon  the 
id  to  bepn 
iu  Noveni- 
:»ther  \w\n*r 
the  climate 
ogs  prevail 
islands,  the 
n  is  seldom 
navigation 
ely  hazard- 
avigators  to 


find  them.  Indeed,  it  is  probable  that  their  dis- 
covery was  retarde*!  on  account  of  the  )»r«.  \al- 
»'n<'e  of  fog.'  The  snnuni'r  temperatnr*  ranges 
between  40'^  and  45°  F.,  and  is  highest  in  August. 
Hv  the  end  of  October  c«dd  winds  sweep  acnws 
the  islands,  carrying  away  the  moistiu'e.  I'lieso 
winds  i'ontinue  throughout  a  large  part  of  the 
winti'r,  ren<lering  tlu^  (climate  during  that  time 
most  <lisagreeable.  The  winter  temperature 
aviM-aji-es  between  22°  and  2(1°  F.  Th(^  sur- 
rounding  sea  generally  freezes  over  iu  winter, 
and  the  ice  remains  until  the  latter  part  of  April, 
when  it  rapidly  di.sappears.  The  shallowness  of 
the  eastern  portion  of  Heriug  Sea  prevents  any 
iceberifs  fr<mi  reachin}»'  the  I'ribihif  Islands 
Further  details  respecting  their  climatic  condi- 
tion will  be  given  later  in  the  C^'ise,  when  the 
habits  of  the  fur-seals  are  discussed. 

The  princii)al  maunnals  inhabiting  the  islands 
are  fur-seals,  sea-lions,  and  hair-seals.  Formerly 
sea-otters  and  walruses  were  found  there  in 
abundance,  but  owing  to  indiscriminate  hunting 
they  have  been  exterminated.  Blue  foxes  are 
common  on  both  islands  and  lemmings  on  St« 


( iiuiuto. 


I  Those  coiKlitiiiiis  arc  not  oontintMl  to  the  I'riliihit'  Isluuds,  but 
prevail  throuj{hoiit  a  yieat  part  ol'  l<erin<r  Sea.  They  aro  iiiattnr 
of  <  ((lUMiou  kiiowledKO.  See  Hcechy's  Narrative  of  a  Voyajje  to 
thf  raoilic  Ocean  and  Herinj;  Straits,  London,  1831,  vol.  I,  p.  241; 
North  I'ac.  Dir.,  \>.  '>'M;  Wappitus,  p.  298. 


LIBRARY 


Animal  lifo. 


^■1 


20 


DISCOVERIES   ABOUT   BERING    SEA. 


!   9 


III; 


'iii 


"'I'.  :ii' 


|''|iH,: 


I'll  >iH  !m 

mm 


Inhabitants. 


Vegetation. 


Georfre.  Myriads  of  birds  breed  upon  the  high, 
rocky  cliffs  of  tlie  islands. 

The  g-roup  was  uninhabited  when  first  dis- 
covered, but  was  soon  colonized  by  the  intro- 
duction of  natives  from  Unalaska  and  other 
islands  of  the  Aleutian  Chain.  In  1890  the  pop- 
ulation of  St.  Paul  was  two  hundred  and  forty- 
four  souls,  of  which  twenty-two  were  white ;  on 
St.  George  there  were  ninety-three  souls,  of  which 
eight  were  white ;  making  the  total  population  of 
the  group  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven.  Seal 
meat  is  the  staple  food  of  the  natives  to-day. 

The  vegetation  resembles  that  of  tlie  Aleutian 
Islands,  in  that  no  trees  are  found.  It  consists 
of  numerous  species  of  grasses  of  an  intensely 
green  color,  and  of  many  kinds  of  wild  flowers, 
which  grow  in  abundance. 


I  ;  "I'liriii  1(1 


Im'i  :,'  ■ 


pe 


DISCOVERY    AND    OCCUPATION    OF    THE    SHORES 
AND  ISLANDS  OF  BERING  SEA. 

Bei  ins's  (irat  ex-  T^j^g  exploratioii  of  Bering  Sea  and  of  the  coasts 
and  islands  of  America  which  surround  it  fol- 
L)wed  ui)on,  and  was  the  direct  result  of,  the  oc- 
cupation^ of  Eastern  Sil)eria  and  the  peninsula  of 

'  Voyage  to  the  I'aeitic  Ocean  under  the  direction  of  Cajit.  Cook 
anil  othiTs,  London,  1784,  v<  1.  Ill,  pp.  3r)K-S83;  Coxe's  Kiissiaii 
Disi'ovories  between  Asia  and  America,  London,  1M0<,  p.  317  et 
»<■(/.;  Miiller,  Vo,va<;eH  (Voiii  Aula  to  America,  trauulated  by  Jef- 
fries, London  17tU,  2d  ed.,  pp.  1-44. 


DISCOVERIES   ABOUT   BERING    SEA. 


21 


the  liigh, 

first  dis- 
\\\e  iiitro- 
Lud  other 
)  tlie  pop- 
nd  forty- 
vhite ;  on 
,  of  which 
ulation  of 
en.  Seal 
o-day. 
!  Aleutian 
t  consists 

intensely 
d  flowers, 


i:    SHORES 

the  coasts 
nd  it  fol- 
r)f,  the  oc- 
niiLsula  of 

f  Ciipt.  Cook 
tx»''8  I{ussi:iii 
[mi,  p.  317  et 
uted  by  Jel- 


Kainchatka  by  the  Russians  in  the  seventeenth  ij^ring's  first  ex- 
century.  As  early  as  1()48  a  Russian  ship  is  re- 
ported to  have  sailed  from  the  Arctic  Ocean 
through  lieriiif^  Strait  to  Kamchatka* ;  })ut  not 
until  the  reign  of  Peter  the  Great  was  any 
organized  effort  made  to  explore  the  unknown 
regions  of  this  sea.  The  execution  of  his  plans, 
owing  to  his  death,  devolved  upon  his  successor, 
p]mpress  Catherine.  The  first  expedition,  un<ler 
Vitus  Bering,  sailed  from  Kamchatka  in  1728 
in  a  northeasterly  direction.  After  discovering 
St.  Lawrence  Island  it  passed  tlu'ough  the  strait 
which  has  since  been  known  by  the  name  of  the 
great  navigator.^  Another  part  of  this  ex})edition 
reached  the  continent  of  America  ni  about  lati- 
tude 65°,  in  tlie  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Yukon  River.'' 

In  1741  Bering  started  out  on  his  second  norinR's  socoiui 
expedition.  It  consisted  of  two  parts,  both  of 
which  discovered  the  continent  of  America. 
Upon  his  homeward  voyage  Bering  landed  at 
the  Shumagin  Islands,  sighted  a  large  nu.uberof 
the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  was  finally  shipwrecked 

I  See  aiiip  in  Miillci's  Voyii^os;  Cook,  vol.  Ill,  j).  3f)l ;  Hiuney's 
HiHtory  of  N'ortlieiiHteni  Voyii'jeM  uf  Diacovcry  uiul  of  tlie  Kurly 
E;i8tern  Naviirations  of  the  Hiissiiins,  Loii'loii,  1819,  ]>.  60(7  nci/. 

'  Miiller,  p.  48.  Tlie  naiiie  was  lonfc!  red  by  C(!i)]<  in  HTS: 
Gi-eenhow's  Memoir  on  the  Northwcat  Coast  of  Anieriia,  Seuato 
L'-if,  No.  171,  Twenty-sixth  CoiiKresH,  lireit  session,  p.  82. 

'  Mllilor,  p.  5.'),  anil  niajt  (frontispiuce);  Huriiey,  p.  KiO. 


Tymmm 


'^m 


Mill,;- 


22 


DISCOVERIES    ABOITT    nERINO    SEA. 


lMl|il"''>'"' 

11  laiii 


'*« 


::iJi; 


!i:      .:iii 


on  t\w  Commander  Islands.  lie  died  npon  the 
one  whicli  was  subsequently  named  for  liim/ 
Rpsourrps  of  ^pijij,  1;^^^  expedition  made  known  the  valuable 
nntu  luiuic  kuovM).  I'^jj.  ,.esources  of  the  Commander  Islands,  and 
brought  back  to  Sil)eria  larg-e  quantities  of  the 
skins  of  sea-otters,  fur-seals,  and  foxes.  This 
led  to  the  orjijinization  of  many  private  ex))e- 
Jitions,  and  o'ie  adventurer,  Bossof,  is  reported 
to  have  gathered  on  these  islands  furs  to  the 
value  of  at  least  one-half  million  dollars  between 
the  years  1743  and  1749.-  The  voyages  at  this 
period  were  numerous  and  indicate  great  activity 
throughout  the  Aleutian  Chain,  island  after 
island  being  discovered  by  ])rivate  Russian 
adventurers.^  Discovery  and  subjugation  to 
Russian  rule  went  hand  in  hand  with  trade,  the 
rich  merchants  of  Moscow  furnishing  in  great 
measure  the  money  wliich  sustained  the  cost  of  dis- 
covery; and  (^)ok,  writing  in  1784,  says  that  the 
Russians  had  conquered  the  Aleutian  Islands  and 
made  them  tributar>'.*  Several  navigators  under 
Russian  Im[)erijd  authority  made  further  expe- 
ditions into  Bering  Sea  and  visited  various  parts 
of  the  coasts,  but  it  was  not  until  the  year  178(5 

'  Miiller.  \\y>.  ttH-!)7,  and  map  (troiitisi>iei'e);  Cook,  vol.  Ill,  i>. 
372;  IJiinioy,  |i.  17(>. 

•'  HtTf?,  ("lironoloijical  Hint()i\v  ol'  tlio  DisooviTy  of  tlio  Aleutian 
Isiaiuls,  or  tlie  Achii'VcineiitH  of  KiiH.siiiit  Mcrdiaiits,  anil  also  an 
llistoiicul  Review  of  the  Fur  Tiaile,  St.  I'i'teisburg,  1823,  p.  1 
el  mq. 

'  Hiiiiiey,  pp.  IKl-lSr.;  C'oxo,  i»p.  86-110. 

■•  Cook,  vol.  Ill,  p.  372. 


DISCOVERIES    AIJOUT    HEHING    SEA. 


23 


upon  the 
•  liini/ 
3  valaal)le 
iiuds,  and 
ies  of  the 
;es.  This 
ate  ex))e- 

reported 
irs  to  the 
s  between 
'•e.s  at  this 
it  activity 
incl    after 

Russian 
i^ation  to 
trade,  tlie 

in  great 
'ost  of  dis- 
sthat  tlie 
kinds  and 
ors  under 
lier  expe- 
ious  parts 
rear  ITSfi 

c,  vol.  Ill,  p. 

tlio  Al(>iiti;iii 
tiiid  also  Mil 
'S,  l»-'3,  V.  1 


that  the  most  important  of  all  the  discoveries  in  ,,,,^;i^,;y"'j^,';-y„,'i!' 

this  sea,  that  of  the  Pribilof  Islands,  was  made.  <^>'^;'  to  search  i..i' 

Tt  was  broug-ht  about  by  the  same  cause  which 

led  to  all  the  other  enterprises  in  these  regions, 

the  search  for  furs.     The  Russians  had  already 

become  acquainted  with  the  fur-seals  upon  the 

Commander    Islands.     They    had  also   noticed 

what  is  to-day  known  as  the  Pribilof  herd,  as  it 

passed   semiannually  through    the   channels  of 

the    Aleutian    Islands;  and  as    the    sup})ly    of 

sea-otters  diminished,  they  began  exerting  them- 

s  ;   OS  to  as(!ertain  upon  what  shores  these  fur- 

s<;.i,is  landed.     Much  time  was  si)ent  in  following 

them  both  upon  their  iiorthws>i'd  and  southward 

courses.     In  1786  the  final  search  fur  ihem  was 

undertaken  by  Clerassini  Pribilof,  who  for  five 

years  had  been  employed  by  one  of  the  leading 

trading  companies  and   was  regarded  as  one  of 

the  best  navigators  of  that  region.     For  three 

weeks  he  cruised   in   the  neighborhood   of  the 

Pribilof  gpHq)    in   a  dense  fog  without  finding 

it.     **At    i:i  i, *'   says  Veniaminof,    "fate,   as    if 

relenti-^j;,    yielded  to   the   untiring  eflbrts  of  an 

enterprisii  V     uan  and  lifted  the  curtain  of  fog, 

rpveaiing  tlu   '    .-.tern  part  of  the  island  nearest 

the    Aleutitui     Archipelago     .     .     ,     ."^     Thia 


'  V»'iiiiiiuiiiol'8  Notes  on  the  Islands  of  the  UnalaHka  District, 
St.  Petersburg,  1840,  part  1,  p.  271. 


B^ 


!'i:'li: 


i|MI|| 


24 


DISCOVERIES    ABOUT    BERING    SEA. 


I'i'il 


'i!ii 


Ml!!     :":;! 


r  I 


ill 


island   was  named  St.  George.     In  tlie  follow- 
inj^  year  the  island  of  St.  Paul  was  discovered. 
Cook's  e X p. uii-     Meanwhile,  in  the  year  1778,  the  English  nav- 

tiou  to  Bei'iug  Sea.  _ 

igator.  Captain  Cook,  had  appeared  in  Alaskan 
waters,  in  cociperation  with  an  expeflition  sent  by 
the  British  admiralty  to  Baffin  Bay  in  the  hope 
that  a  northern  passage  might  be  discovered  from 
the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic'  After  visiting  cer- 
tain points  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  Alaska,  he 
passed  int  leering  Sea  and  sailed  along  the  east- 
ern shore  u.>  is  Bering  Strait,  giving  names 
to  various  plac..?,  among  which  are  those  of 
Bristol  Bay  and  Norton  Sound.  At  several 
points  on  the  coast  which  he  visited  he  found 
clear  evidence  of  Russian  influence  and  customs, 
and  he  confirmed  in  the  strongest  manner  the 
early  Russian  discoveries.  His  visit  was  never 
followed  U})  by  settlement,  and  it  resulted  in  no 
acquisition  of  territory  or  claim  thereto  by  his 
Government.^ 
Subsequent  Riis-     J^  ijyi  .^  expedition,  planned  by  Catherine  II, 

siau  expeditious.  i  '  i  j 

passed  from  the  Aleutian  Islands  to  the  northern 
parts   of  Bering   Sea,    including  St.    Lawrence 

»  Uurney,  pp.  219,  220. 

'On  the  contrary,  it  inured  largely  to  the  benefit  of  the  Kus- 
sians,  of  whom  Cook,  iu  his  third  volume,  at  page  373,  predicts 
that  "  they  ■will  undoubtedly  make  a  proper  use  of  the  advan- 
tages we  have  opened  to  them  by  the  discovery  of  Cook's  Rivet 
(Inlet)."    See,  also,  Coxe,  p.  206. 


I  if 


DISCOVKKIES    AltOUT    l!KI{IN(J    SKA. 


25 


le  follow- 
ivered. 
^lisli  nav- 
L  Alaskan 
•11  sent  by 

the  hope 
3red  from 
litiiig  cer- 
ilaska,  he 

the  east- 
Qg  names 

those  of 
t    several 

he  found 

customs, 
pnaer  the 
i^as  never 
Ited  in  no 
to  by  his 

lierine  II, 

northern 

Lawrence 


of  the  KiiB- 
373,  predicts 
F  the  a  (I  van- 
Cook's  Rivei 


U8 


Island  and  Cai)e  llodnoy,  and  returned  aloiiii-  tlic  /'"i's<'<i'i<>itKnH- 
Asiatic  coast.  Other  expeditions  followed  at 
various  times,  an  imj)ortaiit  one  l)ein<^  that  of 
Korasakovsky,  who,  in  1818,  made  a  thorouj^h  ex- 
ploration of  a  great  part  of  the  eastern  sh<n-e  of 
the  sea  and  established  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Nusliagak.^ 

The  g'reat  wealth  to  be  derived  from  the  fur-    siioroa  and  is- 

.  .  I.iinls  l)cr:iiiu>  l{ii.s- 

bearir^  animals  led  to  i)ermaneiit  settlements,  **'■•'"  ttMiitorv 

".  *  '  <  arly  as  1800. 

the  subjugation  of  the  native  tribes,  and  the  es- 
tablishment of  forts  or  trading  j)osts  by  the  Rus- 
sians on  various  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  on  the 
Pribilof  Islands,  and  on  the  eastern  mainland  of 
Bering-  Sea  during-  the  latter  part  of  the  eight- 
eenth and  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  centuries. 
Thus,  by  first  discovery,  occupation,  and  perma- 
nent colonization,  the  shores  and  islands  of 
Bering  Sea,  the  Aleutian  Chain,  and  the  peninsula 
of  Alaska  became,  probably  as  early  as  1800,  an 
undisputed  part  of  the  territory  of  the  Russian 
J^jHipire.- 


'  The  whole  of  this  shore,  togetlicr  with  other  territory,  liad 
already  beenclaiiiied  by  Russia  in  the  ukase  oflTiW,  reference  to 
wliieli  will  be  hereafter  more  fully  made.  See,  <renerally,  iii)oii  the 
wliole  of  the  foregoing  subject  Vivien  de  Saint-Martin,  vol.  I, 
"Alaska,"  pp.  55,  56. 

■'  See  "Russia's  Early  Title  to  parts  of  the  Coast  of  America.'-' 
Vol.  I,  p.  12. 


2716- 


,;!T"F 


♦isi'i'iir 


CLAIMS    TO    THE    NOUTHWEST    COAST. 


li  j'iiiip 


■I'liln 


'liii! 


fli; 

Ml, 

iti'iiiiiii! 


,!""''''!l" 


II 


il!l 


■ 


lil 


III 


1 1 


l"l 


'« :•' 


CLAIMS  TO  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST  OF  AMERICA. 

Early  competi-  While  the  title  of  Kussia  to  the  territory  north 
of^coast'orAmer-  J'l^'l  west  of,  aiul  iucludiiij,'',  the  peninsula  of  Ala.sksi 
was  universally  recognized,  her  claim  to  the 
Northwest  Coast  of  the  American  continent,  bv 
which  term  it  i }  intended  to  desij^nate  the  coast 
between  Prince  William  Sound  and  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia  River,  was  earnestly  disputed  by 
more  than  one  powerful  nation.  During  the 
latter  part  of  the  last  century  and  the  early 
years  of  the  present,  Great  Britain,  Spain,  and  the 
United  States  were  competing  with  Russia  by 
way  of  exploration,  trade,  and  colonization  for 
the  possession  of  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America. 
titimr'sHt'iemMit     As  early  as   1741  Tcherikof,  a  Russian  Cap- 

at  Kadiak  Island.  ^   .  i        n     •      <  i       •  '^    j    .1 

taui  under  Bermg  s  connnand,  visited  the  coast 
in  about  latHude  55°  N.;'  but  the  earliest  per- 
manent settlement  east  of  the  Aleutian  Chain  was 
made  at  Kadiak  Island  in  1784  by  Shelikof,'^  an 
enterprising  merchant,  who  afterwards  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  Russian  American  Coini)any. 
A  trading  post,  dwelling  houses,  and  fortifications 
were  erected  and  a  school  established.  Later, 
cruises  were  undertaken  from  Kadiak  to  the  ad- 


'  Miiller's  Voyiiges,  map  (frontispiece). 
*  Coxo,  p.  207  et  §eq. 


■-'M 


f  AMERICA. 

itoiy  north 
a  of  Alaska 
iiii  to  the 
ithiout,  by 
e  the  coast 
le  mouth  of 
isi)uted  by 
)uniig   tlie 

the  early 
liii,  and  the 
Russia  by 
lization  for 
^f  America, 
ssian  Cap- 
l  the  coast 
arliest  per- 
i  Chain  was 
helikof,'^  an 
is  laid  the 

Company, 
jrtifications 
ed.  Later, 
c  to  the  ad- 


^  \ 


CLAIMS    TO   THE    NORTHWEST    COAST. 


27 


ioininff  islands  and  the  mainland  around  Cook's    RnsHian  compe- 

''  °  titioii.  S.'ltk'iih'iit 

Inlet,  Prince  William  Sound,  and  Yakutat  Bay.'"*  i^»*«i»"i' i»iuud. 
The  influence  of  the  Kadiak  colony  in  the  adjoin- 
ing^ continent  is  told  by  Coxe  in  these  words: 
**The  settlement  formed  by  Shelikof  in  the  isle  of 
Kadiak  has  more  contributed  to  sj)read  the  ex- 
tent of  the  Russian  trade  and  power  in  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean  than  any  of  the  preceding  ex])edi- 
tions.  He  sent  out  detached  parties,  who  formed 
establishments  on  various  parts  of  the  Ameiican 
continent  and  kept  the  natives  in  due  order  and 
subjection."-  In  one  of  these  cruises,  made 
under  Shelikofs  direction,  the  continent  was 
reached  near  Prince  William  Sound,  and  the 
coast  was  followed  and  carefully  explored  to  the 
east  and  south  beyond  latitude  50°.  Coxe  says, 
speaking  of  the  traders  who  conducted  this  cruise : 
"By  comj)aring  their  accounts  with  the  narratives 
of  Cook,  Portlock,  Meares,  and  Vancouver,  we 
have  been  able  to  ascertain  most  of  the  harbours 
and  places  at  which  they  touched,  and  the  general 
agrev^ment  with  the  accounts  jriven  bv  the  p]ne-lish 
navigators  proves  the  accuracy  of  their  descrip- 
tion"^ At  Yakutat,  in  June,  1788,  they  took 
formal  possession  of  the  country  and  received 


'  Coxe,  p.  2.S2. 
«  Coxe,  1).  2W, 


See  also  ibid.,  pp.  268,  269,  273. 


€ 


ppp 


;iii  !: 


ifi!|!IKI 


i''-;::ii 


ill 


1^1 

■     Ij  ■    ;,  1 


:'!''i 


'il 


i  !!|Hlittl 


i:.  i, 


I  ,,   li    .,,      il,. 


iiiilliiji 


!!'!!!!! 


28 


CLAIMS    TO   THE    NORTHWEST    COAST. 


Kimsian  cdiniie- from  the  iiutive  cluef  tokens  of  his  ,aoee]>tanro  of 

titioii.  Sfttlciiicnt  ' 

at  Kadiiik  isiuii.i.  Russian  doniinion.'  As  further  evidence  of  Rus- 
sian occupation  of  the  mainland  of  tlie  Nortlnvest 
Coast  the  hiunching-  of  a  vessel  in  1794  from  the 
shores  of  Prince  William  Soinid  is  chronicled,  this 
beinjj^  the  first  ship  built  in  Alaska.^ 

Sifka""'''"^  "♦  Hut  the  most  im|)ortant  step  taken  by  Russia 
to  permanently  establish  her  authority  over  the 
islands  and  adjoininjr  shores  of  the  Northwest 
Coast  of  the  continent  was  the  founding-  in  the 
bej^inning-  of  the  present  century  of  New  Arch- 
angel (afterwards  Sitka),''  which  soon  became  a 
fortress,  the  principal  trading  post,  and  the  seat 
of  government  of  the  Russian  American  posses- 
sions. From  Kadiak,  iirst,  and  from  Sitka,  later, 
the  Russian  merchants  continued  to  push  their 
traffic  with  the  natives  along-  down  the  mainland 
toward  the  (/()lund)ia  River,  and  in  1812  they 
had  even  established  a  colony  on  the  coast  of 
California,^  calle<l  Fort  Ross,  a  few  miles  north  of 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  As  earl}^  as  1810 
Russia  had  gone  so  far  as  to  inform  the  United 


"  See,  generally,  Coxe,  pj).  240-254. 

'^  Tikhiueniers  Historical  Review  of  tbe  Developinent  of  tlio 
Russian  .\nieiiean  Company  and  of  its  Operations  np  to  the  pros- 
eut  Time,  St.  Petersburg,  18f»I,  vol.  I,  p.  40. 

■  Vivien  <le  Saint-Mnrtiii,  vol.  I,  p.  56.  Tbe  year  1802  is  gen- 
erally taken  as  tbe  date  of  the  fonndinj*  of  Sitka. 

••Green bow's  Memoir,  pp.  9,  148;  Vivieu  de  Saint-Martin,  vol. 
I,  p.  56. 


i   S.|lj|:''!!il|ll| 


I 


i'l  !?"''ii't 


CLAIMS  TO  THK  NORTHWEST  COAST. 


29 


peptanco  of 
lice  of  Uus- 
Nortlnvost 
)4  from  tlie 
)ni('li'd,  tliis 

I  by  Russia 
y  over  the 
Northwest 
(ling-  in  the 
New  Arch- 
i  became  a 
11(1  the  seat 
:3an  posses- 
Sitka,  hiter, 
pusli  their 
e  mainland 
1812  they 
rlie  coast  of 
les  north  of 
ly  as  1810 
the  United 

npment  of  the 
up  to  the  pres- 

ir  1802  is  gen- 

iit-Martin,  vol. 


States  tliat  slic  chiimed  the  coast  to  the  Cohiml>ia 
Uiver.* 

On  the  other  hand,  Great  Britain  early  laid  .."■•'♦'«'> «^«'"Peti 
claim  to  pf>rtions  of  this  same  Northwest  Coast. 
Drake  is  believed  l)y  some  to  iiave  touched  it  in 
his  discoveries  in  1579.^  The  famous  British 
navij^ator,  (.^aj)tain  Cook,  appeared  there  in  1778, 
visited  Prince  William  Sound  and  Cook's  Inlet, 
and  (as  already  noticed)  passed  into  Bering*  Sea. 
Cook's  voya<ies  were  followed  by  those  of  Port- 
lock,  Dixon,  Meares,  and  Vancouver.  English 
traders,  and  especially  the  powerful  Northwest 
Company  (which  in  1821  became  united  with 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company),  were  rapidly  ex- 
teiiding-  their  enterprise  to  the  coast  between  the 
Columbia  River  and  latitude  56°  N.  and  tlius 
cominti^  into  competition  and  conflict  with  the 
merchants  and  traders  of  other  countries,  includ- 
ing- those  of  Russia.^ 

So,  also,  Spain,  following  up  the  occupation  of  spaiiisbcouipeti. 

tion. 

California,  soon  after  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century  began  laying-  her  plans  for  a  complete 
occupation  of  the  whole  of  the  western  coast  of 
America  washed  by  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 

'  Aiiu'rican  Stiite  P.iper8,  Foreign  Relations,  ^'ol.  V,  p.  442. 
See,  also,  generally,  "Russia's  Early  Title  to  the  Coast  of 
America,"  Vol.  I,  p.  12. 

•'  liiir.iey's  History  of  Discoveries  in  the  South  Sea,  I.oudou, 
1W>:<.  vol.  I,  j».  356.     See.  iilso,  Greenliow's  Memoir,  ]».  ,S7. 

'I.omion  Quarterly  Review,  vol.  XXVI.  pji.  344-347. 


I'ii 

4 

t  '1 

lllilihi 

30 


CLAIMS    TO    TIIR    XOrmiWKST   TOAST. 


ll'liyil 


'iiliij! 


iiiii^ 


ll'llli 


i;:  IHi.- 


Spunisii  coiui)eti-(j^^,(,.i,^  j^,i,i  i,j  (loinjr  tliis  hIio  WHS  jictii}it<Ml  lavg^ely 
by  knowledge  of  the  tact  tliut  the  Hussiaus  hud 
a  Hiinilar  object  in  view.*  Prior  to  17(»8  the 
Si)anish  navij^atorH  had  exphjred  it  up  to  hititude 
43°,  and  hi  1774,  1775,  and  1779  tliey  visited 
various  portions  of  the  same  as  far  north  as 
Prince  William  Sound,  taking  possession  of  nuich 
of  the  country  on  behalf  of  their  sovereign;  and 
an  examination  of  the  map  of  that  regi<m  of  the 
present  day  attests,  in  the  geographical  names, 
tlie  early  i)resence  of  the  Spanish  discoverers.^ 
As  late  as  1790  Spain  asserted  her  right  to  the 
Northwest  Coasl,  to  latitude  (10°  N."* 

Tiie  N o  o  t  iv  11      Some  of  the  Spanish  (claims  were  bi  ought  to  an 

Sound    c<)iiti<i-.  .       ^  „,,,      .        ,       XT         1        L-i  1 

veisy.  issue  m  lrH9  m  the  rsootka  Scmnd  controversy, 

which  was  the  first  dispute  between  European 
nations  in  regard  to  any  territory  lying  between 
San  Francisco  and  Prince  William  Sound. 
Nootka  Stmnd  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
Vancouver  Island  in  about  latitude  50°  N.''  In 
1789,  on  being  informed  that  Russia  was  intend- 
ing to  occupy  it,  the  Spanish  Government  sent 
out  two  men-of-war  with  nr.lers  to  anticipate  her 
and  drive  away  all  foreigners.      No  trouble  ol 

I  (Jreenhow's  Mciiioii',  pp.  52,  96. 

''  Vivien  ^h-.  Saint-Martin,  vol,  I,  p.  56;  Greenhow's  Memoir,  j>.  ,'»7 
and  chap.  IV. 

'  American  State  Papers,  Foreign  Kelations,  vol.  V,  p.  444. 

''  It  ap]>earRtoliave  been  diHcovered,  and  wu»  named,  by  Conk  iu 
1788.     Greeubow'H  MeiHuir,  |>.  82. 


CLAIMS   TO   THE   NOltTHVVE8T   COAST. 


81 


\(n\  largely 
SHiaiis  had 

17(;8  the 
to  latitiulo 
ey  visited 

north  as 
n  of  much 
•eigii;  ami 
ion  of  the 
al  names, 


2 


scoverers. 
gilt  to  the 


nght  to  an 
itr(»versy, 
European 
»•  between 
1  Sound. 
st  side  of 
°  N.^  In 
as  intend- 
ment sent 
['il)ate  her 
rouble  of 


Memoir,  p.  57 

,  p.  444. 

1,  by  Cook  iu 


.u 


any  kind  with  Russia  arose  out  of  these  measures,'    tii(>    Noot  k  h 

Sound    coiitru- 

l)ut  the  Spanish  naval  commander  havinj^  seized  vtrMy. 
two  vessels  eng-aj^ed  in  trade  there,  togfether  with 
certain  houses  and  land,  all  of  which  the  British 
Government  claimed  to  be  the  jn'operty  of  British 
sid)jects,  the  act  of  seizure  was  vig-orously  and 
successfully  resented,  and  as  a  result  of  a  heated 
contro\ersy  the  treaty  of  1790  was  celebrated 
between  Great  Britain  and  Spain.-     Article' I II    Tiwity  of  i7!»o 
ot  tliat  treaty  is,  in  part,  as  tollows:  "It  is  ag-reed  iirituiuaudSpuiu. 
that  the  respective  subjects  shall  not  be  disturbed 
or  molested  either  in  navigating  or  caiTying  <»n 
their  fisheries  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or  m  the 
South  Seas,  or  in  landing  on  the  coasts  of  those 
seas  in  places  not  already  occupied,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  carrying  on  their  commerce    with    the 
natives  of  the  country  or  of  making  settlements 
there;   the  whole  subject,  nevertheless,   to   the 
restrictions    specified    in    the    three    following 
articles." 

This  stipulation  is  of  special  significance,  as  it 
constituted  a  basis  of  the  adjustment  made  by 
Russia  with  the  United  States  in  1824  and  with 
Great  Britain  in  1825,  respecting  the  navigation 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  conflicting  claims  to 
the  territory  on  the  Northwest  Coast. 

'  AiiK^ritiiii  State  Paiters,  Foreign  Rdiitions,  vol.  V,  p.  445. 
'Vol.  I,  p.  32.    See  Greenliow's  Memoir,  clinp.  VI, 


i.  ^'4 


m 


'  ill'iiiiii 
■  "ill  iiiiiii 


nii{!li-ii 

iijiiiiil! 

h  v!P!l 
iii-^iiiiii' 


89 

Ainrrican  com 
{tftitiuii. 


CLAIMS   TO   TIIK    NOUTHWKST   COAST. 

Tlio  i)artial  imvif^ation  of  the  ('<>liiiiil>ifl  River 
by  tlie  Ainorican  navipitor,  Ca|)taiii  Gray,  in 
17!)2,tIieexpe(lition  of  LewissnulClarke  across  the 
IWky  iVIoiiiitainH  in  the  years  1803  to  1805,'  and 
the  estahlislinient  of  the  Pacitic  Fnr  Company  on 
tlie  Pacific  coast  in  the  earl}*  years  of  tlie  })resent 
century,  gave  to  tlie  United  States  a  permanent 
lodgement  on  the  Northwest  Coast  and  constituted 
the  basis  of  an  active  competition  uw  the  part  of 
that  nation  for  the  sovereignty  an<l  trade  of  a 
consideralde  part  of  the  slu>re8  and  waters  of  the 
Pacific.''  The  troubles  which  early  in  this  cen- 
tury arose  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  as  to  ownershij)  of  these  coasts  were  left 
undetermined  by  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  following 
the  war  of  1812;  and  in  1818,  ijeing  still  unable 
to  adjust  the  respeirtive  claims,  the  two  powers 
agreed  that  all  territory  in  dispute  claimed  by 
eithei'  of  them  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean  should,  with  its  harbors,  bays, 
and  rivers  be  open  and  free  for  ten  years  to  the 
vessels  and  citizens  of  both  nations,''  and  not  until 
1846  were  their  respective  territonal  rights  on  the 
Northwest  Coast  permanently  settled  by  treat}'. 

•Greenhow's  Memoir,  p.  126  et  seq.,  p.  149. 
*Greeiih()w'8  Memoir,  pp.  152-158. 

^Treaty  of  1818  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain, 
Vol.  I,  p.  34. 


i]>ia  River 

Gray,  in 

i across  the 

1805,' and 
onipany  on 
the  })resent 
permanent 
constituted 
the  part  of 
trade  of  a 
aters  of  the 
II  this  cen- 

and  Great 
:8  were  left 
t,  following 
still  unable 
wo  powers 
claimed  by 
luitains  and 
bors,  bays, 
ears  to  the 
id  not  until 
ights  on  the 

by  treat}'. 

Great  Britain, 


TC- 


CLAIM8   TO   THE    NORTHWEST    COAST. 

The  claims  of  S|)ain  to  this  region  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  United  States  by  the  treaty  of  1819.* 

It  thus  appears  from  the  foregoing  l»»torical  ^j'^uh^^  jompcH 
review  that,  while  tlu.  claim  of   Russia  to  the  «!'JJ^^, 'J^^^ '•;•;""• 
territory  embracing  the   Aleutian    Islands,    the 
peninsula  of  Alaska,  and  the  coasts  and  islands  of 
liering  Sea  was  undisputed,  the  shores  and  the 

[  adjacent  islands  of  the  American  continent  south 
of  latitude  60°  as  far  as  Calif< uiiia  were  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and  the  first  quarter 
of  the  present  century  the  subject  of  conflicting 
claims  on  the  part  of  Russia,  Great  Britain,  Spain, 
and  the  United  States.  This  condition  of  affairs  in- 
dicated that  an  international  conflict  was  likely  to 
come  sooner  or  later,  and  it  was  foreshadowed 
in  an  article  printed  in  the  London  Quarterly 
Review  of  1814,  in  which  it  was  said:  "How 
long  the  continent  of  America  will  afford  a  sup- 
ply of  furs  and  peltry  to  the  contending  traders 
of  England,  Russia,  and  the  United  States,  we 
pretend  not  to  determine,  but  we  believe  they 
have  each  of  them  lately  experienced  some  diffi- 
culty in  supplying  the  usual  demand  for  those 
of  the  most  valuable  description.     An  increasing 

I  scarcity  can  not  fail  to  produce  a  collision  of  in- 
terests and  disputes,  which  at  one  time  or  other 
will  probably  terminate  in  a  war 


,  "2 


'Vol.1,  p.  34. 

-  Loiulou  yuiirteily  Review,  Vol.  XI,  p.  292. 

2716 5 


34 


TIIK    RUSSIAN    AMERICAN    COMPANY. 


':?!tii 


i' 


.i'!'" 


Ijllllj;, 


::'iii!i 


:ti:II!ll!lil 


■'Ml:         'I 


THE  RUSSIAN  AMERICAN  COMPANY. 

itspdiiicni  jiiid      Hsiviii<>-  tliiis  preseiitcMl  ;i  l)nof  sketch  of  the 

cninnu'rcial  iuijior-  ^ 

f""*^*^-  political   coiuhtion  of  affairs  in  tlie  early  part  of 

this  ceiiturv  iii  the  territory  surroiiiulinj^'  Beriiio- 
Sea  and  on  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America,  it  is 
pro})er,  hefoni  entering^  upon  a  consideration  of 
the  events  of  international  importance  which 
follow,  to  refer  to  the  or<>anization  and  early 
history  of  the  Russian  American  Company,  an 
association  which  for  a  period  of  over  sixty 
years  carried  on  trade  and  administered  public 
affairs  throu^hotit  a  <j^reat  part  of  these  reg^ions. 
In  the  extent  and  variety  of  its  o])erations  it  oc- 
cupies a  position  similar  to  that  held  by  tlie  East 
India  and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Companies;  and  its 
history  is  also  the  history  of  that  portion  of  the 
g-lobe  to  which  the  attention  of  the  Tribunal  of 
Arbitration  is  directed. 
T1.P   ontfivowth      The     Russian  American    Company    was    the 

<>l   triiilmy  iiSBOci-  * 

out<>Towth  of  the  numerous  trading- associations,^ 
v/hich,  soon  after  the  discoveries  of  1741,  bewail 
to  develop  the  lucrative  fur  trade  in  the  Aleutian 
Islands  and  Bering*  Sea.  The  rivalry  and  com- 
petition svhich  grew  up  between  them  proved  in 
many  ways  disastrous'-  and  resulted  eventually 

'  For  a  (Ictiiilcd  account  of  same,  see  Hci'g,  p.  I  et  seq. 
'' Tikhimnief,  vol.  I,  p.  til. 


atiouti. 


THE    RUSSIAN   AMERICAN    COMPANY. 


35 


lNY. 

'tell  of  the 
fly  part  of 
no-  BeriiiS" 
iierica,  it  is 
deration  of 
tice  wliich 
and  early 
mipaiiy,  an 
over  sixty 
)red  public. 
ise  reg'ions. 
itions  it  oc- 
jythe  East 
ies;  and  its 
tioii  of  the 
tribunal  of 

was    the 

-oeiations,^ 

741,  beg-an 

le  Aleutian 

and  coni- 

proved  in 

Bventually 

1  et  sea. 


iu  i)laein«^  the  fur  trade  of  the  Colonies  under 
the  control  of  a  single  powerful  orj^anization.' 
This  was  acconii)lished  in  171)9,  in  wliich  year    chiirtoie.i  in 
a  ukase  was  issued,  creating-  the  "Russian  Amer- 
ican Conii)any"  and  containing  its  first  clip^ter." 

This  ukase  invested  it  with  special  and  exclu-  Jt«  "-iKi'ts  :»n,i 
sive  privileges  for  a  })eriod  of  twenty  years  on '"***^  i;i'ait.r. 
the  shores  of  northwestern  America  between 
latitude  55°  N.  and  Bering-  Strait,  on  the 
Aleutian  Islands,  the  Kurile  Islands,  and  the 
islands  of  the  Northeastern  or  liering  Sea.  To 
it  was  reserved  the  excl(isiverig-ht  to  all  products 
of  the  chase  and  of  commerce  in  those  regions; 
and  it  was  s])ecially  authorized  to  take  possession 
on  behalf  of  the  Imperial  Government  of  newly 
discovered  countries,  both  to  the  north  and  to  the 
south  of  latitude  55°  on  the  coast  of  America. 
It  was  authorized  to  establish  agencies  within 
and  without  the  empii'e,  and  to  use  a  seal  and 
and  a  Hag  bearing  the  Imperial  coat  of  arms.  Its 
chief  place  of  business,  which  wms  originally  at 
Ij-kutsic,  was  soon  transferred  to  St.  Petersburg, 
where  its  shareludders,  n«-iie  of  whom  were 
allowed  to  be  foreigners,  embraced  mend)ers  <>f 
tile  Imperial  family  and  the  high  n<»bilit}'. 

'  Vivien  df  Siiiut-Iilartin,  vol.  1,  p.  56, 
«Vol.  I,  p.  14. 


'liiiii: 


.',<ir 


36 


THE    RUSSIAN    AMERICAN   COMPANY. 


;!■:[:    i 


■i|iM 


Ml'!. 


11, 


>!,!ili! 
■Ml' 


11 


III 


I  I 


::';;i' 


liiii* 


While  the  privileges  conferred  by  this  charter 
were  very  great,  the  Company  was,  on  the  other 
hand,  burdened  with  some   heavy  obligations. 

Its  obligations,  j^  ^^^^^  compelled  at  its  own  expense  to  carry  «>n 
the  goveiTment  of  the  region  over  wliich  its  priv- 
ileges extended,  to  maintain  courts,  the  church, 
and  a  small  militar}-^  force,  and,  at  a  later  period, 
to  hold  I'eady  at  various  points  on  the  coast 
provisions  and  stores  for  tlie  use,  in  cases  of 
emergency,  of  the  naval  vessels  or  troops  of  the 
Russian  Government. 

Its  mode  of  gov-      For  the  purposes  of  administration  the  Impo- 

eriiiubut. 

rial  Government  and  the  directors  of  the  Com- 
pany jointly  a])i[)ointed  a  chief  manager,  wiio 
resided  at  Sitka,  and  who  at  an  early  date  was 
required  to  be  an  ofHcer  of  the  navy  of  high 
rank.  His  powers  were  absolute  within  the  ter- 
ritory over  w^hich  the  Com])an}'  exercised  juris- 
diction. Under  him  were  sub-managers,  over- 
seers, and  other  agents.  Reports  of  the  Com- 
pany's transacticms  were  submitted  originallv  to 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and  later  to  the 
Minister  of  Finance. 
Officers  of  impe-     Dating  fi'om  the  year  1802  officers  of  the  Im- 

rial  navy  eiigugt'd  *       .1        •       .1  1  r 

lu  itsneivuti.  penal  navy  were  constantly  m/tlie  employ  ot 
the  Company.  As  long  as  it  maintained  a  mili- 
tary and  naval  force  in  thr  Colonies  at  its  own 
expense,  such  forces  were  entirely  at  the  dis- 


this  chartor 
111  tlie  otlior 
obligations, 
to  carry  on 
ich  its  priv- 
the  chiircli, 
ater  period, 
I  tlio  coast 
in  cases  of 
I'oops  of  tlie 

I  the  Impo- 
)f  the  Coni- 
nager,  who 
iy  date  was 
Lvy  of  higli 
thin  the  ter- 
i'cised  juris- 
agers,  over- 
f  tlie  Coin- 
)riginall}'  to 
ater  to  the 

■1  of  the  Ini- 
employ  of 

lined  a  niili- 
at  its   own 

at  the  dis- 


THE    RUSSIAN    AMERKUN   COft[PANY. 

posal  of  the  chief  manager,  who  had  the  pHvi-.-.^^JIIill^;";;;,;;;;;';; 
lege  of  selecting  the  soldiers  and  sailors  from  aii)'  "'  '»■»  ""'vi""- 
force  stationed  within  the  boundaries  of  Siberia. 
Kven  the  officers  of  those  naval  vessels  which 
were  not  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  Com- 
pany, and  which  were  sent  out  to  the  Colonies 
i»y  the  Imperial  Government,  were  generally  en- 
joined to  obey  the  orders  of  the  chief  manager, 
and  it  will  be  made  to  appear  from  papers 
whicli  will  be  hereafter  cited  thut  such  orders 
were  freely  given. 

Under  its  charter  the  Company  paid  no  roy-  ^^i*^  °**  royaUv 
ah\'  or  rent  to  the  Government,  but  as  its  trade 
consisted  chiefly  in  the  exchange  of  furs  for  teas 
on  the  Chinese  frontier,  the  Government  received 
large  sums  through  the  duty  collected  on  such 
teas. 

In  short,  the  Company  administered  both  go\  -    '^""imary. 
ernment  and  trade  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
territory  over  which  it  Avas  given  control.^ 

'  See  in  reference  to  ;ill  tliiit  hits  l)een  said  re}i;ar(linfj;  the  rights, 
oblifjations,  ami  govornnicnt  of  the  Rusttiun  Amcjricau  Company: 
Keguhitions  of  the  Unitetl  American  Company.  TikhnuMiief,  vol. 
I,  app.,  jij).  1-19;  (Charter  of  179!t,  Vol.  I,  p.  14;  tikase  and  charter 
of  1821,  vol.  I,  pii.  Ill  and  21;  -'Additional  Facts  relating  to  the 
Kussian  Ainerii'iiii  Company, "  Nol.  1,  p,  'J;  Tikhmenief,  vol,  II, 
:ipli.,  pp.  17-G3. 


THE    UKASE    OF    1821. 


THE  UKASE  OF  1821. 


tsi 


"..l|il 


In,:' 


^iii 


'li'i  '■!:  ■,  .iliii 


Ukase  of   1821     Oil  the  4th  of  Sei)tenil)er,  1821,  this  ftimous 

sua  second  chiirter  i  '  ' 

of  the  Coiupaii.v.  yj^j^^g  ^.^j^  made  public,  and  nine  days  later, 
on  the  13th  of  September,  1821,  the  Emperor 
renewed  with  certain  additions  for  another 
term  of  twenty  years  the  charter  and  privi- 
leges granted  in  1799  to  the  Russian  Amer- 
ican Company.     Both  the  ukase  and  the  new 

charter  appear  in  full  in  the  Appendix.' 
^^^Purpose  of  tbe     '^p|jg  objects  wliicli  wcrc  sought  to  be  obtained 

by  the  promulgation  of  the  ukase  appear  from 
the  recital  prefixed  to  it,  which  is  as  follows: 
"  Observing  from  Reports  submitted  to  us  that 
the  trade  of  ouu  subjects  on  the  Aleutian  Islands 
and  on  the  North  West  Coast  of  America  apper- 
tahiing  unto  Russia  is  subjected,  because  of 
secret  and  illicit  Traffic,  to  oppression  and  imped- 
iments ;  and  finding  that  the  principal  cause  of 
these  difficulties  is  the  want  of  Rules  establish- 
ing the  Boundaries  for  Navigation  along  these 
Coasts,  and  the  order  of  Naval  Communication 
as  well  in  these  places  as  on  the  whole  of  the 
Eastern  Coast  of  Siberia  and  the  Kurile  Islands, 
we  have  deemed  it  necessary  to  determine  these 
Communications  by  specific  Regulations  which 
are  hereto  attached." 


>  Vol.  I,  pp.  16, 24. 


i^l 


iii'illii:!i! 


lis  famous 

ays  later, 

Enii)ei'or 

'    another 

md    privi- 

an   Aiuer- 

.  the  new 

1 
e  obtained 

i 

•pear  from 

s  foUows: 

to  us  that 

an  Islands 

•ica  apper- 

•ecause   ot 

nd  imped- 

d  cause  of 

establish- 

lon<»-  these 

uuiication 

ole  of  the 

le  Islands, 

■1 

niue  these 

.<,-,  ■ 

)ns  which 

■M 

THE    UKASE   OF    1821.  3J) 

Its  title  and  first  two  sections  are  as  follows:     .i,.;;';,,*^*,';,^'*^ 

"  Rules  established  for  the  Limits  of  Navi«>a- 
tion  and  orderof  Conmumicationalonjj' the  Coast 
of  I^astern  Siberia,  the  Northwest  Coast  of 
America,  and  the  Aleutian,  Kurile,  and  other 
Ishuuls. 

"§  1.  The  pursuits  of  Connnerce,  whalinfr,  and 
fisJK'rv,  and  of  all  other  Indnstry  on  all  Islands, 
l*orts,  and  Gulfs,  includinji-  the  whole  of  the 
Northwest  Coast  of  America,  bef^inning  from 
Bei-in«^''s  Straits  to  the  51°  of  Northern  Latitude, 
also  from  the  Aleutian  Islands  to  the  Eastern 
(V)ast  of  Siberia,  as  well  as  along  the  Kurile 
Islands,  from  Bering's  Straits  to  the  South  (Jape 
of  the  Island  of  Uru[),  viz,  to  the  45°  50'  North- 
ern Latitude,  is  exclusively  granted  to  Russian 
subjects. 

"§  2.  It  is,  therefore,  prohibited  to  all  For- 
eign Vessels,  not  only  to  land  on  the  Coasts  and 
Islands  belonging  to  Russia  as  stated  above; 
but  also  to  approach  them  within  less  than  a 
Hundred  Italian  Miles.^  The  Transgressor's 
Vessel  is  subject  to  confiscation  aloiig  with  the 
whole  Cargo." 

The  reason  why  the  limit  of  one  hundred  miles    K.nHon    why 

,  ,•  1  .  1        ^r     "'"'t  <>t"  I"**  miles 

was  chosen  a))pears  trom  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  cboHen. 

'An  Italian  luilo  is  the  o«iuiviileiit  of  a  geo<{i'aiihical  mile,  of 
which  there  are  sixty  to  a  decree. 


y--  i  :i , 


w 


iil'li'iiii 


:  i'iii::!iii!i 


ji ;!  i|]i||i;n;| 


ill 


(I 

i. 

■'■■'::( 

1 
i 

1 

■\ 

1  1 

lit 

■  1 
P'l 

I 

li: 

J I  III  I 


['■!tii,H'i';;:|i!!!i!l 


wm. 


\h 


Wii 


i :;:'!' 


!l 
lip 


!l:'"ii;'ii: 


40 


THE   UKASE    OF   1821. 


,.  K'"^.","   ^^hyMiddletoii,  United  States  Minister  at  St.  Peters- 

iiiiiit  <tt  KM)  luilos  ' 

choscu.  burg-,  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  dated  August  8, 

1822,  giving  an  account  of  an  interview  with 
the  Governor-General  of  Siberia,  who  had  been 
one  of  the  coniinlttee  originating  this  measv^re,. 
The  Governor-General  said  it  was  sought  to  es- 
tablish "  limits  to  the  marine  jurisdiction  on  thei  r 
coasts,  such  as  should  secure  to  the  Russia  i; 
American  Fur  Company  the  monopoly  of  the 
very  lucrative  profit  they  carry  on.  In  order  to 
do  this  tliey  sought  a  precedent,  and  found  the 
distance  of  thirty  leagues,  named  in  the  Treaty  of 
Utrecht,  and  which  may  be  calculated  at  about 
one  hundred  Italian  miles,  sufficient  for  all  pur- 
poses." ^  As  a  similar  and  more  recent  prece- 
dent, though  not  for  so  great  an  extent  of  sen 
-  jurisdiction,  might  have  been  cited  the  fourtli 
article  of  the  Nootka  Sound  convention  between 
Great  Britain  and  Spain,  already  referred  to, 
whereby  the  former  conceded  to  the  latter  ex- 
clusive jurisdiction  of  the  sea  for  ten  leagues 
from  any  part  of  the  coasts  already  occupied  by 
Spain.'^ 
Tiiis  limit  en-     xiic  Pi'ibilof  Islaiids,  the  home  of  the  Alaskan 

iililcn     Kii8Hia    to  ' 

oTr\Tb\ionsiandif  **^^^  ^^^^'^'  **'®  situated  less  tlian  two  hundred 
Italian  miles  from  the  Ah  utian  Chain  on  the 
south,  and  thus  a  sufficient  ^jortion  of  the  eastern 

1  Mr.  Middletou  to  Mr.  >clams,  August  8,  1822,  Vol.  I,  p.  135. 
■'  Vol.  I,  p.  32. 


4 


,'/" 


.^* 


THE   UKASE   OF   1821. 


41 


c  St.  Peters- 
d  August  8, 
jrview  with 
10  had  been 
lis  measure;, 
ought  to  es- 
tion  on  their 
the    Russia! ; 
)poly  of  the 
In  order  t(» 
d  found  the 
he  Treaty  of 
ited  at  about 
i  for  all  pur- 
•ecent  prece- 
extent  of  sen 
d  the  fourtli 
tion  between 
referred  to, 
lie  lattiu*  ex- 
ten  leagues 
occupied  b}' 

'  the  Alaskan 

wo  hundrofl 

liaiii  on  tlu' 

of  the  eastern 

"voiTi,  p.  135. 


^ 


half  of  Bering  Sea  was  covered  by  the  ukase  to 
enable  Russia  to  })rotect  the  lierd  while  there. 

In  so  far  as  it  affected  that  sea  and  its  shores,    iiuase  cieciara- 

tory     "1    exmfinjj 

Russia  regarded  tlie  ukase  as  merely  declarator}' «igi»ts. 
of  existing  rights.  The  board  of  admiiiistratiou 
of  the  Russian  American  Company,  writing  from 
St.  Petersburg  to  the  chief  manager  of  the 
Russian  American  Colonies  at  Sitka  on  Septem- 
ber 20,  1821,  says:  "With  this  precious  act  in 
your  hand  you  will  be  enabled  t(»  as.^ume  a  new 
position  and  to  stand  firmly  opposed  to  all 
attempts  on  the  part  of  foreigners  to  infringe 
upon  our  rights  and  privileges.  In  accordance 
with  the  will  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  we  will  not 
be  left  to  protect  unaided  the  land  and  waters 
embraced  in  our  exclusive  privileges.  A  squad- 
ron of  naval  vessels  is  under  orders  to  prepare  for 
a  cruise  to  the  coasts  of  noitheasteni  Asia  and 
northwestern  America.  .  .  .  We  can  now 
stand  upon  our  rights,  and  drive  from  our  waters 
and  ports  the  intruders  who  threaten  to  neutralize 
the  Ijeneiits  and  gifts  most  graciously  bestowed 
upon  our  Company  by  His  Imperial  Majesty.'" 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  59.  This  and  other  dociiiiicnts  hereinafter  cited,  re- 
lating to  the  affairs  of  tlie  Russian  American  Company,  belong 
to  the  official  rerordsor  archives  of  the  territory  which  was  ceded 
to  the  United  States  hy  Russia  by  the  treaty  of  18r>7.  They  came 
into  the  jKtssession  of  the  United  States  by  virtue  of  the  second 
article  of  that  treaty  and  ure  now  in  tlie  archives  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  at  Washln<;'on.  Fac-siniiles  of  all  the  original 
documents  referred  to  herein  ^'ill  be  found  at  the  cu<l  of  \'ol.  I. 
2716 6 


'mmr'^ 


'I.  Ill 


m 


,;Im 

ill 

i! 

'       'i'. 

'    ■  '    ■  '.■■V 

'il! 

:jf:r::':,'j!ll 


i:v..iilii 


" I  Ml, 

mm 


I 


;i::j.::M:||;i|||; 


|i!:i:i;il 


i 


42  THE   ITKASE   OF    1821. 

In  a  letter  dated  Febiunrv  28,  1822,  from  the 
board  to  tlie  cliief  maiinjier  of  tlie  ( -olonie«,  \vc 
find  the  following-  statement:  "As  to  fur-seals, 
however,  since  our  Gracious  Soverei<jn  has  been 
pleased  to  strengthen  our  claims  of  jurisdiction 
and  exclusive  rij^hts  in  these  waters  with  his 
stroll}!^  hand,  we  can  well  atford  to  reduce  the 
number  of  seals  killed  annually,  and  to  patiently 
await  the  natural  increase  resultinjj^  therefrom, 
which  will  yield  us  an  abundant  harvest  in  the 
future."^ 
rnder  iikiise  of     The  official  Russiaii  records  show  that  after 

179!t    foreign   ves- 
sels not  peiniiftcd  the   ukase  or   charter  of    17IJ1),  ffrantino-  to  the 
to  hunt  or  trade  in  ^  " 

Bering  Sea.  Hussiaii  American  Company  certain   exclusix  e 

control  of  trade  and  colonization,  its  authorities, 
acting  under  the  sanction  of  the  Russian  Govern- 
ment, did  not  permit  foreign  vessels  to  visit 
Bering  Sea.  The  trading  and  hunting  rights  (tf 
the  Company  were  jealously  guarded  there  jn'ior 
and  up  to  1821,  as  will  appear  from  the  docu- 
ments about  to  be  cited ;  and  whatever  creatit»ii 
or  extension  of  exclusive  Russian  jurisdiction  was 
intended  to  be  effected  by  the  promulgation  of 
the  ukase  of  that  year  a[)i)lied  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean  proper,  and  to  the  coasts  and  islands  east 
and  south  of  the  peninsula  of  Alaska.  The  only 
effect  which  could  have  been  intended  by  tliiit 

'  "Vol.  1,  p.  61. 


■i!i:!'^;';yi! 


^22,  from  the 
(!(>lunio.s,  we 
to  fur-8eals, 
n<^\\  has  been 
»f  jurisdictuni 
ters  with  liis 
to  reduce  tlic 
(1  to  ])atiently 
ipi;  therefrom, 
iiarvest  iu  the 

ow  that  after 
anting-  to  the 
am   exclusive 
its  authorities, 
issian  Goverii- 
issels  to   visit 
itinj^  rij^hts  of 
ed  there  ])rior 
om  the  <h)('ii- 
itever  creation 
irisdiction  was 
omulg^ation  of 
to  the  Pacific 
id  ishuids  east 
ca.     The  only 
anded  by  thiit 


THE    OKASE   OP   1821. 


43 


■sz 


edict  upon  the  coasts  and  waters  of  Bering  Sea  nJIrlvm^Krves! 
and  the  Aleutian  Islands  was  to  strengthen  and  j::\';,;;;;\[;«[;';'f^'7,; 
confirm  the  jurisdiction  theretofore  exercised  by  "*'""*''  ^'"'" 
Russia,  and  this  is  made  clearly  to  appear  from 
the  official  documents  of  that  period. 

On  April  9,  1820,  the  Russian  Imperial  Min-    Request  of  Min- 

.  later  of  KiiiniK-e  iu 

ister  of  Finance,  upon  a  report  of  a  committee  of  is-'o  ana  isai  tiiat 
ministers  appointed  by  the  Emperor  to  obtain  pat"'"'' *'/ •'^"**""^ 
informatiou  respecting  the  Russian  American  •'*'**''""''''"*'' ***"'• 
Colonies,  from  which  report  it  appeared  that 
illicit  visits  of  foreign  vessels  to  Alaskan  waters 
were  being  made,  addressed  an  official  commu- 
nication to  the  Imperial  Minister  of  Marine,  in 
which,  after  referring  to  this  report,  he  states 
that  "  it  appears  of  the  most  imperative  necessity 
for  the  preservation  of  our  sovereignty  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  America  and  on  the  islands 
and  waters  situated  between  them,  to  maintain 
there  continuously  two  ships  of  the  Imperial 
fleet."  He  suggests  that  these  two  vessels  should 
be  dispatched  during  that  year,  one  to  cruise  from 
Sitka  westward  and  nortliward,  and  after  ''  hav- 
ing thoroughly  examined  the  shores  of  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands,  the  coast  of  Kamchatka,  the  Kurile 
Islands  and  the  intervening  waters,"  to  winter  in 
Petroj)avlovsk  on  the  Asiatic  coast.  "  The  other 
ship,  however,  (sailing  from  Petropavh)vsk),  liav- 
ing  examined  the  eastern  coast  of  the  Kamchatka 


IBMMi 


44 


THE   UKASE   OF   1821. 


''!iillJl'"''liii'iiili'ilili 


i,,ijri,,.ifiHii!iiiiii 


:!,!:uiiiiiiiiui 


':|:i 


■m 


1  il. 

k 


fl'lilii  ill 


;; '!H  ,;:-""inii 


'''-■!l:!il 
I'INIIIIi 


mm 


•I  I 


i  ?  i" 


mm 


!  iinll||ii!!i    ■  ' 


Re.|neHt  of  Min- pen'^jj^^if,  „„  |o  62°  of  northern  latitndo,  and  tlie 

'Sei"'  X'e  Vi'ii-  ^^'^^^  coast  of  America  from  this  latitude  to  tlie 

S.;Ss''?n£r-i*^ln^^      f>f  UnaUiska,  Kud  the  intervening-  waters 

eiing  '"•  ^J3(,,.ij^g.   gea),  .should   proceed  to  Kadiak   and 

from  there  to  Sitka  for  the  winter.  The  object 
of  the  cruising- of  two  of  our  armed  vessels  in  tlie 
localities  above  mentioned  is  the  protection  of 
our  Colonies  and  the  exclusion  of  foreign  vessels 
engaged  in  traffic  or  industry  injurious  to  the 
interests  of  the  Russian  Company  as  well  as  to 
those  of  the  native  inhabitants  of  those  regions." 

In  the  following  year,  1821,  two  similar  ships 
were  to  be  dispatched,  and  in  "  this  manner  two 
ships  of  war  would  always  be  present  in  the 
Colonies  and  the  Company  would  be  as.sured  of 
their  protection."^ 

The  board  of  administration  of  the  Russian 
American  Company,  writing  March  15,  1821, 
from  St.  Petersburg  to  the  chief  manager  of  the 
Colonies  at  Sitka,  with  full  knowledge  of  the 
report  of  the  committee  of  ministers  and  the 
action  of  the  Ministers  of  Finance  and  of  Marine 
of  the  year  previous,  clearly  intimates  the  duty 
these  war  ships  were  to  perform.  In  giving  in- 
structions as  to  the  management  of  the  fur-seals 
on  the  Pribilof  Islands,   it   says:      "We  must 

>  Vol.  I,  p.  49. 


Killing  of  fur- 
Reals  at  tieu  to  be 
preveuted. 


iide,  and  tlio 
tiido  to  tlu! 
iiiu}"-  waters 
<^adiak  and 
Hie  ol)jtM't 
essels  in  tlu- 
rotection  o^ 
•eign  vessels 
t'ious  to  the 
IS  well  as  to 
jse  regions." 
umilar  ships 
manner  two 
38ent  in  the 
e  assured  of 

;he  Russian 
h  15,  1821, 
[lager  of  the 
edge  of  tlu^ 
irs  and  the 
id  of  Marine 
tes  the  duty 
n  giving  in- 
the  fur-seals 
"We  must 


THE   UKASE   OF   1821. 


45 


snppose  that  a  total  susjiension  of  killing  everyg^^|^"^'^^8^^''^^*"'|J"- 
tifth  }ear  will  effectually  stop  the  diminution i*"^®"**"^' 
(»f  the  fur-seals,  and  that  it  will  be  safe  at  the 
expiration  of  the  close  season  to  resume  killing  at 
the  rate  mentioned  above  (fifty  thousand  annu- 
ally). By  a  strict  observance  of  such  rules,  and 
a  [irohibition  of  all  killing  of  fur-seals  at  sea  or 
in  the  passes  of  the  Aleutian  I.^lands,  we  may 
iiope  to  make  this  industry  a  permanent  and 
reliable  source  of  income  to  the  Com})any, 
without  distur})ing  the  price  of  these  valuable 
skins  in  the  market."  ^ 

In  1819  Riccord,  tlie  then  commander  of  Kam-,.'''^»oPigottafliair. 

Certain    coiitraciH 

chatka,  acting  under  advice  of  one  Dobello,  a^'"'„    •'"7>"|'^''| 

'  o  '       annulled.   Control 

foreigner  in  the  emi)l(>y  of  the  Russian  Govern- [',^^''';;^^![***|,\JiJ)j!*"'^'j; 
ment,  granted  to  an  Englishman  named  Pigott  "*"'" 
the  right  for  ten  years  to  hunt  whales  on  the 
coast  of  Eastern  Siberia.^  This  grant  was  at 
once  repudiated  by  the  Government.  A  con- 
siderable amount  of  correspondence  resulted, 
which  illustrates  the  complete  control  which 
Russia  claimed  and  actually  exercised  over 
Bering  Sea  prior  to  1821,  and  how  jealous  she 
and  lier  chartered  Company   were  of  the  intru- 


sion of  foreigners. 


Under  date  of  April   10,  1820,  the   Minister 


'  Vol.  I.  11.  -,H. 

'Tiklinu-nk-r,  vol  I,  |i|i.  l!»L'-20(). 


*i|ilrff^piii 


46 


THE    UKASE    OF    1821. 


'  II  ti. 


"'"iiiili'i 


I 
'i]i' 


i       Mi:         W 


ThePigottatiiiir,  ^f  Pinance  wi'ote  to  tlui  board  of  administnitirm 

cMutiiiueu. 

ot"    the     UiLSMiuii  Aiiiuricuu    Coiupuuy     tor     its 

giiidrtiice  in  part  as  follows:  "The  (Muninaiidor 
of  the  government  of  Irkutsk  is  hereby 
instructed  to  forbid  any  foreigners,  exce})t  sucii 
as  have  become  Russian  subjects,  to  enter  the 
mercantile  guilds,  or  to  settle  in  business  in 
Kamchatka  or  Okhotsk;  also  to  entirely  pro- 
hibit foreign  merchant  vessels  from  trading  in 
these  localities  and  from  anchoring  in  any 
port  of  Eastern  Siberia,  except  in  the  case  of 
disaster.  .  -  .  It  is  hereby  ordered  that 
the  local  authorities  shall  infonn  the  Eng- 
lishman Davis  at  Okhotsk  and  Dobello's  agent 
in  Kamchatka  that  the  Government  does  not 
permit  them  to  reside  in  those  places,  much  let^s 
to  erect  buildings  or  other  immovable  prop- 
erty." 

In  the  same  dispatch  the  minister  said:  "Hav- 
ing for  the  benefit  of  the  American  Compaii}^ 
excluded  all  foreigners  from  Kamchatka  an(' 
Okhotsk  and  prohibited  them  from  engaging  in 
trade  and  from  hunting  and  fishing  in  all  the 
waters  of  Eastern  Siberia,  the  Government  fully 
expects  that  the  Company,  on  its  part,  will  hold 
itself  responsible  for  supplying  those  regions 
with  all  necessaries."  And  again:  "In  conclu- 
sion, it  is  stated  as  the  decision  of  His  Majesty, 


41!:!  '-m:. 


IM 
III 


TFIK    UKASK    OK    1821. 


M 


ninistnitifni 
y  tor  its 
[;oiiiinaii(lor 
is  herel)}' 
jxcept  such 
a  enter  the 
business  in 
tirely  pro- 
trading-  in 
g  in  any 
the  case  oi' 
dered  that 
the  En«^- 
bIIo's  agent 
it  does  not 
I,  much  h^ss 
able  prop- 
aid:  "Hav- 
i  Company 
ihatka  an(' 
angaging  In 
f  in  all  the 
mnent  fully 
•t,  will  hold 
3se  regions 
"In  conclu- 
lis  Majesty, 


the  Emperor,  in  view  of  possible  future  compli- 
ciaticms  of  this  nature,  that  no  contracts  involving 
th(!  free  admission  or  navigation  for  trade  of  for- 
•fign  ships  or  foreign  subjects  in  the  waters  adjoin- 
injr  or  Ixumded  by  the  coasts  of  liussian  colonies 
will  b(}  approved  by  the  luiperial  G(»verinneiit.'"  ,,i|;;;;;^;R^:;;;,r7;: 
On  April  23,  1^(20,  the  board  of  admiiiistra- '|"'f,,,,*t.Ji'*'i'J'y  ^Va- 
tioii  ot  the  Com])any  at  ht.  retersburg  wrot«^  toHLiiis. 
tlu  chief  juanager  of  the  Colonies  at  Sitka,  an«l, 
after  reciting  the  (M)ntents  of  the  foregoing  letter, 
continued:  '*Ah  soon  as  the  Imj)erial  Govoru- 
meiif  ascertained  that  the  contracts  made  (viz., 
those  with  Pigott)  were  in  open  violation  of  the 
privileges  granted  the  Company,  it  prohibited  at 
once  all  foreigners  not  only  from  settling  in 
Kamchatka  and  Okhotsk,  but  also  from  all  inter- 
course with  those  regions,  enjoining  the  author- 
ities Lo  maintain  the  strictest  surveillance  over 
then- -novements.  Basing  you?"  own  action  upon 
this  proceeding  of  our  Highest  Protector,  you, 
as  conunander  of  all  our  Colonies,  must  prohibit 
with  equal  strictness  all  foreigners  from  engag- 
ing in  any  intercourse  or  trade  with  native 
inhabitants,  as  well  as  from  visiting  the  waters 
frequented  by  sea-otters  and  fur-seals,  over  which 
our  operations  extend,  under  penalty  of  the  most 
severe  measures,  hicluding  the  contiscation  of 
'  Vol.  1,  pTii^ 


48 


THE    UKASE   OF    1821. 


1 

1 

f   :           '9 

f  :■■■?* 

i^iiiiil'i 


Fompnt'iN  pro- j^iiipi^  {,,j(|  |],(.  iinprisoiimeiit  of  crews  eiiffaffed 

InbittMl  lioni  visit-         i  i  n    r> 

M!i*;nt"T*'by '«,.•,-'"  tl"*^  ^^H^''^  traffic.  You  must  act  with  the 
seaisr  "'"  * " ' '  ^Teatest  severity  in  cases  where  foi-cig-ners 
liave  sohl  to  the  natives  arms,  powder,  and  lead. 
Tliey  must  be  made  to  understand  that  their 
presence  in  our  waters  is  contrary  to  our  laws, 
and  that  they  will  never  be  admitted  to  any 
port  unless  you  or  your  subordinates  convince 
yourselves  that  such  is  necessary  for  the  saving 
of  life.  In  a  word,  you  must  preserve  an 
attitude  in  full  accord  with  the  views  of  the 
Imperial  Government  on  this  subject,  and 
protect  against  all  intruders  the  domain  of 
land  and  water  granted  to  us  by  the  grace  of 
the  Emperor  and  necessary  for  our  continued 
existence  and  prosperity.  Yom  must  transmit 
these  instnictions  without  delay  to  your  sub- 
ordinate commanders  for  their  (ionduct  in  their 
intercourse  with  foreigners,  and  especially  to 
the  commanders  of  ships  navigating  our  waters, 
to  enable  them  to  drive  away  the  foreign  iinti'u- 
ders."i 
The  PiRott  aftair,      Thh  qucstion  of  the  contract  with  foreijmers 

continued.  *  ^ 

was  again  referred  to  in  a  lener  from  the  boai'd 

of  administration  to  the  chief  manager  of  the 

Colonies,  March  31,  1821.     Speaking  of  Messrs. 

Riccord,  Dobello,  and  Pigott,  it  is  .said:   "From 

'  Vol.  I,  pp.  o3,SA. 


h 

'if 
'  1 

iiiiiiiiiki.^ 

THE   UKASE   OF   1821. 


49 


t  with  the 
toivig-ners 
,  and  lead, 
that  their 
our  laws, 
ed  to  any 
i  convince 
the  saving 
eserve  an 
iws  of  the 
(ject,  and 
loniahi  of 
e  graoe  of 
(•<»ntinued 
t  transmit 
your  sub- 
ct  in  tkeir 
)ecially  to 
ur  watei-s, 


;ign  uiti'u- 


foreigners 
the  hoard 
[•er  of  the 
ot  Messrs. 
I:   "From 


the  copy  herewith  inclosed  of  communications  ^.^^•^^JR^"''""'''' 
from  the  ministries,  you  will  see  that  the  Imperial 
Government  not  only  repudiated  Messrs.  Riccord, 
Dohello,  and  Pigott,  but  also  prohibited  them 
altogether  from  trading  in  Okhotsk  and  Kam- 
chatka, with  the  result  that  to-day  the  foreigners 
have  abandoned  their  enterprise  in  that  region, 
and  no  other  foreigners  will  be  allowed  to  visit 
these  places  in  the  future.  The  principles 
involved  in  this  action  of  the  Government  you 
must  also  observe  in  dealing  with  foreigners 
who  may  visit  our  Colonies,  using  all  the  force  at 
your  command  to  drive  them  from  our  waters. 
Together  with  our  new  privileges,  which  have 
already  been  promulgated  by  the  minister  and 
which  ju'e  only  awaiting  the  return  of  our  Mon- 
arch, we  shall  also  receive  definite  instructions 
how  to  deal  with  foreigners  who  ventui'e  to 
cross  the  limits  of  possessions  acqn.'red  long  ago 
through  Russian  enterprise  and  valor."  ^ 

It  thus  appears  from  the  foregoing   citations   Summary, 
tiiat,  so  far  as  it  concerned  the  coasts  and  waters   I'mtestsdirocted 

to  claim  of  Jnris- 

of  liering  Sea,  the  ukase  of  1821  was  merely '^.'5*'""  "^er   •''i- 

"  •^  iiiic  Oceun  iiiul  to 

declaratory  of  preexisting   claims  of  exclusive ''''''!'  *•"  '^"""'^  of 

-y  I  o  coiitiueut. 

jurisdiction  as  to  trade,  which  had  been  enforced 
therein  for  many  years.  The  ukase  of  1799, 
which  set  forth  a  claim  of  exchisive  Russian  juris- 


2716- 


'  Vol.  I,  p.  55. 


lf!|| ~ 

'■'i:;„j:jiil!li 

■,  I    ;  •..    :.  ■  ■,,, 

0M 


'?-'m 


50 


THE    UKASE   OF    1821. 


I!  I 


!i 


iiLiii 


fiijli 


iliipilS 


ii*;i!i; 


ll'il'lll'ill'ilf 


:"'i|.ilii!t*i''-""'-'' 


\i\mm 


ill      I : :"  i:i;iiir' 
III!    '  vWHi 

i;!ll!h!:''"^i'! 


ProtoHts  (liroct-  diction  as  fjir  south  as  latitiule  55°,  called  foitli  no 

en  to  cliiini  ol  jiir-  ' 

(Tuir  ol'oaraiui't')  P^'otcst  tVom  auy  foreign  i)owers,  nor  was  objec- 
clmiuicur""^  °*'tion  offered  to  the  exclusion  of  foreign  ships  from 
trade  with  the  natives  and  hunting-  fur-bearing 
animals  in  the  waters  of  Bering  Sea  and  on  the 
Aleutian  Islands  as  a  result  of  that  ukase  and  of 
the  grant  of  exclusive  privileges  to  the  Russian 
American  Company.  It  was  only  when  the 
ukase  of  1821  sought  to  extend  the  Russian  claim 
to  the  American  continent  south  to  latitude  51°, 
and  to  place  the  coasts  and  waters  of  the  ocean  in 
that  region  under  the  exclusive  control  of  the  Rus- 
sian American  Company,  that  vigorous  protests 
were  made  by  the  Governments  of  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain.  And  the  correspond- 
ence which  grew  out  of  those  protests^  shows 
that  they  were  inspired  by  the  claim  of  jurisdic- 
tion over  large  portions  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  (as 
distinguished  from  Bering  Sea)  and  by  the  con- 
flicting claims  of  the  three  nations  to  the  coast 
over  which  Russia  sought  to  extend  exclusive 
authority.  The  United  States  and  Great  Britain 
had  for  years  before  the  publication  of  that  ukase 
been  competitors  for  the  trade  and  the  ownersliip 

'  Vol.  I,  pp.  i;-i;2-]52.  Only  sneli  i)ortion  of  tlio  corroaiiondeiice 
between  Great  Britain  anil  Kus.sia  \h  given,  as  was  iueloseil  in  Lord 
Siilisbnry's  noto  to  Sir  Julian  rauncefoto,  dated  August  2,  1800, 
Vol.  I,  p.  242, 


lli^i: 


THE    TREATIES   OF    1824    AND    1825. 


lied  foitli  no 
•  was  objec- 
i  si  lips  from 
tur-beariiig- 
and  on  the 
ikase  and  of 
the  Russian 
when  the 
Lissian  claim 
atitude  51°, 
the  ocean  in 
1  of  the  Rns- 
311S  protests 
the  United 
correspond- 
tests^  shows 
I  of  jurisdic- 
c  Ocean  (as 
by  the  con- 
to  the  coast 
id  exclusive 
rreat  Britain 
if  that  ukase 
e  ownership 

!  corroHpondeiice 
inclosed  in  Lord 
1  August  2,  1890, 


51 


d 


of  the  coasts  and  islands  lyiiijj:  between  latitudes^ ''''•?*•.'■'*'**''!'■;''■♦!' 

•^       "  to  rliiiin  of  jmit' 

51°  and  55°,  on  what  was  known  as  the  North-;!;;; !.';'" ^.;;;[';j;^, J '{»j 

west  Coast,  and  their  citizens  and  subjects  had  coiitiuent.^*"'^*  **' 

been  actively  eng-ag-ed  with  their  shi})s  in  hunting 

and  trading  on  those  shores  and  waters,  and  it 

was,  natural  that  they  should  vigorously  protest 

against  the  attera2)t  of  Russia  to  exclude  them 

from  tliat  re/jion.     On  the  other  hand  there  is  no 

record  that  iucli  hunting  or  trading  had  ever  been 

carried  on  by  them  within  Bering  Sea.    The  history 

of  the  period  and  the  locality,  the  discussion 

whicli  followed  the  ukase,  and  the  treaties  which 

were  the  result  of  it,  attest  that  the  object  of  both 

the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  in  contesting 

the  pretensions  of  Russia  in  this  matter  was  to 

maintain  their  respective  claims  to  the  territory 

indicated,  to  preserve  intact  their  valuable  trade 

with  the  natives  on  the  Northwest  Coast,  and  to 

enjoy  the  free  navigation  of  the  Great  Ocean 

which  washed  that  coast/ 

THE  TREATIES  OF  1824  AND  1825. 

The  controversy  which  followed  the  promul-    f?eft]od  the  two- 

'"'Itl  disi)ute. 

gation  ot  the  ukase  of  1821  resulted  in  a  treaty 
between  the  United  States  and  Russia  in  1824,^ 


'  Seo  Vivien  de  Saiut-Martin,  vol.  I,  p.  56. 
«  Vol.  I,  p.  35. 


<  P:l 
Mn 

'I 


.!)•■ 


:;iiifi;iii!'ii 


52 


THJS   TREATIES  OP   1824   AND   1825. 


<|iill| 


1 


iilL 


Settitd  two-fold  and  one  between  Great  Britain  and  Russia  in 

dispute. 

1825.^  These  two  treaties  settled  the  twofold 
dispute  which  had  been  raised  by  the  ukase, 
namely,  first,  the  maritime  dispute;  second,  the 
territorial  dispute  relating  to  the  Northwest  Coast. 
Bering  Sea  not     The  maritime  dispute  was  settled  by  the  first 

included  in  teruiis.'        .   ,  ^,  /•     i       t.  •  •  i  ,   ,i 

used  to  denote  Pa-  articles.     J  hat  oi  the  British  treaty  was,  at  the 

ciflc  Oceau. 

request  of  the  British  negotiators,^  copied  almost 
verbatim  from  the  corresponding  article  of  the 
American  treaty,  and  the  latter  was  based  upon 
the  third  article  of  the  convention  of  1790 
between  Great  Britain  and  Spain.^ 

That  the  terra  "Great  Ocean,  commonly  called 
the  Pacific  Ocean  or  South  Sea,"  used  in  article 
I  of  the  treaty  of  1824  with  the  United  States, 
and  the  term  "The  Ocean,  commonly  called  the 
Pacific  Ocean,"  used  in  article  I  of  the  treaty  of 
1825  with  Great  Britain,  did  not  apply  to  and 
include  Bering  Sea,  is  shown  by  a  study  of  the 
maps,  charts,  and  writings  of  navigators*  at  the 
time  of  and  prior  to  the  negotiation  and  celebra- 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  39. 

•Letter  G.  Canning  to  S.  Canning,  Dec.  8, 1824,  Vol.  I,  p.  260. 

»Vol.  I,  p.  32. 

^Biirney,  speaking  of  the  "line  of  boundary  whieli  seems  de- 
signed by  nature  for  this  great  sea,"  says:  "The  northern  limits 
are  marked  by  the  couiiuuation  of  the  American  Coast  I'rom  Mount 
St.  Elias  towards  the  west  with  the  chain  of  islands  called  tlie 
Fox  and  the  Aleutian  Islands."  Ilurney's  Chronological  History 
of  the  Discoveries  in  the  Soutli  Sea  or  Pacific  Ocean,  London,  1803, 
vol.  I,  p.  2. 


1  Russia  in 
the  twofold 
the  ukase, 
second,  the 
iwest  Coast, 
by  the  first 
was,  at  the 
•pied  ahnost 
•ticle  of  the 
based  upon 
n   of    1790 

lonly  called 
id  in  article 
ited  States, 
Y  called  the 
le  treaty  of 
ply  to  and 
tudy  of  the 
tors*  at  the 
nd  celebra- 

Vol.  I,  p.  260. 

Licb  seems  de- 
northorn  liraitE 
ast  from  Mount 
ikI.s  called  tlie 
ojlical  History 
,  Loudon,  180a, 


THE    TREATIES   OF    1824   AND    1825.  53 

tion  of  these  treaties.  A  list  of  these  maps  and 
charts  is  appended  hereto,^  and  a  careful  exami- 
nation of  the  same  is  invited.  It  will  be  seen  from 
them  that  the  best  geographers  have  at  all  times 
distinguished  this  body  of  water  from  the  ocean 
lying  south  of  it  by  conferring  upon  it  some 
separate  name,  in  most  cases  either  that  of  Sea 
of  Kamchatka,  Beilng  Sea,  Northeastern  Sea,  or 
Eastern  Ocean.^ 

But  in  addition  to  the  correspondence  attend-    Express  declara- 
tions  of  Kussiau 
in,-?  the   negotiations,  the   text   of  the   treaties  Gov  em  m.ut  ou 

^'  °  '  this  subject. 

tliemselves,  and  the  authority  of  navigators, 
attention  is  invited  to  the  express  declarations  of 
the  Russian  Government  on  the  subject  during 
the  negotiations  and  after  the  treaties  had  been 
celebrated. 

On  July  18,  1822,  the  Imperial  Minister  of 
Finance  addi-essed  to  the  board  of  administra- 
tion of  the  Russian  American  Company  a  com- 
munication in  which,  referring  to  the  pi'otests 
wliich  liad  been  made  against  the  ukase  of  1821 
and  to  the  negotiations  on  the  subject  with  the 
United  States  having  in  view  some  modification 
of  the  ukase,  he  says ;  "  Tlie  rules  to  be  i)ro- 

~Vol.  I,  p.  287. 

^  As  to  "Sea  of  Kamchatka"  and  "Bering  Sea,"  see  quotatiou 
infra  from  the  letter  dated  Jnly  18,  1822,  from  the  Minister  of 
Finance  to  the  board  of  administration.  As  to  "Xortbeustern 
St  a,"  see  first  and  third  charters  of  the  Company,  Vol.  I,  pp.  U,  28. 
As  to  "Eastern  Ocean,"  see  Coxe,  m.-ip  (frontispiece). 


U{||UHI|I:1;|{RPI 


fill  :    ■    'iliislili 


111 iiii 


iilSilil 


m 


m 


.|'"':M,,,,;:;ii|:i!'i'il 
:rli!:      ■■J"'.'!,,-,,, 


'I'.^'J!' 


54  THE   TREATIES   OP    1824   AND   1828. 

posed  will  probably  imply  that  it  is  no  longer 
necessary  to  prohibit  the  navigation  of  foreign 
vessels  for  the  distance  mentioned  in  the  edict 
of  September  4,  1821,  and  that  we  will  not  claim 
jurisdiction  over  coastwise  waters  beyond  the 
limits  accepted  by  any  other  maritime  power  for 
the  whole  of  our  coast  facing  the  open  ocean. 
Over  all  interior  waters,  however,  and  over  all 
waters  inclosed  by  Russian  territory,  such  as 
the  Sea  of  Okhotsk,  Berirg  Sea,  or  the  Sea  of 
Kamchatka,  as  well  as  in  all  gulfs,  bays,  and 
estuaries  within  our  possessions,  the  right  to  the 
strictest  control  will  always  be  maintained."  ^ 
Declaration     Sooii  after  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty  of  1 824 

nuide  iiiiiiK'diiitcly  '' 

befv.ro  treaty  «.'itli  ^yith  the  United  States  the  directors  of  the  Rus- 

Greut  lintuiii. 

sian  American  Company  applied  to  the  Imperial 
Government  for  a  correct  interpretation  of  the 
same.  A  special  committee,  consisting  of  some 
of  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the  Empire,  was 
appointed,  and  July  21,  1824,  it  issued  a  report 
of  its  proceedings  signed  by  Count  Nesselrode 
and  others."  The  seventh  paragraph  of  this 
report  reads  as  follows:  "That  since  the  sover- 
eignty of  Russia  over  the  shores  of  Siberia  and 
America  as  well  as  over  the  Aleutian  Islands  and 

»  Vol.  I,  p.  62. 

'  Ruasiau  Minister  of  Finance  to  the  board  of  the  Russian 
American  Company,  Sept.  4,  1824,  and  accompauying  report,  Vol. 
I,  pp.  67-71. 


iilii'liil 


THE   TREATIES   OF   1824   AND   1825. 


55 


no  longer 
of  foreign 
n  the  edict 
11  not  claim 
beyond  the 
e  power  for 
)pen  ocean, 
lid  over  all 


T» 


such 


as 


the  Sea  of 
,  bays,  and 
right  to  the 
:ained."^ 
(aty  of  1824 
of  the  Rus- 
;he  Imperial 

ition  of  the 
ing  of  some 

mpire,  was 
ed  a  report 

Nesselrode 
aph  of  this 
the  sover- 

Siberia  and 

Islands  and 


of  the  Russian 
ing  report,  Vol. 


the  intervening  sea  has  long  since  been  acknowl-  j JJ,^,!"fJ}j,"J  ""{|I® 
edged  by  all  powers,  these  coasts,  islands,  and^;'^;^j^jj*;.'Jy.^]^''"' 
seas  just  named  could  not  have  been  referred  to 
in  the  articles  of  the  above-mentioned  convention, 
wbicli  latter  concerns  only  the  disputed  territory 
on  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America  and  the 
adjoining  islands,  and  that  in  the  full  assurance 
of  such  undisputed  right  Russia  has  long  since 
established  pei*manent  settlements  on  the  coast 
of  Siberia  as  well  as  on  the  chain  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands;  consequently  American  subjects  could 
not,  on  the  strength  of  article  II  of  the  conven- 
tion of  April  5-17,  have  made  landings  on  the 
coast,  or  carried  on  hunting  and  fishing  without 
the  permission  of  our  commanders  and  governors. 
These  coasts  of  Siberia  and  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands  are  not  washed  by  the  Southern  or  Paci- 
fic Ocean,  of  which  mention  is  made  in  article  I 
of  the  convention,  but  by  the  Arctic  Ocean  and 
the  Seas  of  Kamchatka  and  Okhotsk,  which,  on 
all  authentic  charts  and  in  all  geographies,  form 
no  part  of  the  Southern  or  Pacific  Ocean."' 

To  fully  appreciate   the   significance  of  the 
foregoing  declaration,  it  must  be  remembered 

I  The  explanatory  note  presented  Dec.  6,  1824,  by  Baron  de 
Tnyll  to  Mr.  Adams,  reference  to  which  is  made  in  Mr.  Blaine's 
note  to  Lord  Salisbury  of  Dec.  17,  1890  (Vol.  I,  pp.  263,  276)  was 
a  result  of  the  report  from  which  the  foregoing  paragraph  is 
quoted;  and  this  very  paragraph  was  clearly  used  as  the  basis  for 
the  explanatory  note. 


if 


iii, 


':'im 


Mi;  I 


■:'.i::!|l|i:il 

'     ,  ■     ■''■■  .IMi:: 

"  -I  ill  I    ' 

1  jSi : 

illl!':!:;:::':;! 
iinii:|;,   :i:'!m 


i.ii' 


in'l'!': 


56  THE   TREATIES   OF   1824   AND   1825. 

not  only  that  it  was  made  in  response  to  a 
request  of  the  Russian  American  Company  for 
an  interpretation  of  tlie  American  treaty,  but, 
wlial  is  more  important,  that  it  was  made  shortly 
before  the  signing  of  the  treaty  with  Great 
Britain,  in  which,  therefore,  the  Russian  nego- 
tiators did  not  consider  it  necessary  (any  more 
than  they  had  considered  it  necessary  in  the 
former)  to  declare  that  Bering  Sea  was  not  a 
part  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  in  which  latter  the 
right  of  free  fishing  was  recognized  to  exist. 
Troittios  rtco},'-  So  far,  therefore,  from  the  terms  of  these  trea- 
tioniiKrits.i.iin.Ldties  revoking  or  Ihniting  the  jurisdiction  pre- 

hy     KiiHsia     ovc- 

Heriug  Sea.  viously  cxcrcised  by  Russia  over   Bering  Sea, 

there  is  inherent  evidence  in  all  those  instru- 
ments, as  well  as  in  the  negotiations  which  pre- 
ceded them,  that  no  such  revocation  or  limitation 
was  sought,  conceded,  or  obtained  by  the  higli 
contracting  parties.  Russia  was  quick  to  notice 
that  her  assumption  of  control  over  the  waters 
of  the  North  Pacific  Ocean  was  untenable;  she 
therefore  acknowledged  this  by  the  first  articles 
of  the  two  treaties  in  question.  But  neither  in 
the  protests,  negotiations,  nor  treaties  is  any 
reference  found  to  Bering  Sea,  and  it  must  be 
conceded  from  a  study  of  those  instruments  and 
the  subsequent  events  that  the  question  of  juris- 
dictional rights  over  its  waters  was  left  where  it 


THE   TREATIES   OP   1824    AND    1825. 


57 


sponso  to  a 
ompaiiy  for 
treaty,  but, 
aade  shortly 
with  Great 
issian  nego- 
■f  (any  more 
;8ary  in  the 
a  was  not  a 
ih  latter  the 
to  exist. 
)f  these  trea- 
idiction  pre- 
Bering  Sea, 
those  instru- 
f  which  pre- 
or  limitation 
by  the  higli 
ick  to  notice 
r  the  waters 
tenable;  she 

first  articles 
t  neither  in 
ities   is   any 

it  must  be 
I'uments  and 
tion  of  juris- 
left  where  it 


had  stood  l)cfore  the  treaties,  except  that  the  ex-  „i J.^r^JJ." -...'X!;; 
ercise  of  these  rights  by  Russia  had  now,  through {j'°5jj;;;J/|;''^7;"J 
these  treaties,  received  the  implied  recognition  of '^^'''''s  ®'"'" 
two  gi'cat  nations;  for  while,  by  the  ukase  of 
1821,  Russia  had  publicly  claimed  certain  unu- 
sual jurisdiction  both  over  Bering  Sea  and  over  a 
portion  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  yet  in  the  resulting 
treaties,  which  constituted  a  complete  settlement 
of  all  differences  growing  out  of  this  ukase,^ 
no  reference  is  made  to  this  jurisdiction  so  far  as 
it  related  to  Bering  Sea,  although  it  is  expressly 
and  conspicuously  renounced  as  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

The  burden  is  thus  placed  upon  Great  Britain    Burden     upon 

Great    Hritain    to 

to  ihow  that  this  jurisdiction,  recognized  in  the  show  that  those 

rights  Lave  been 

year  1825  to  exist,  has  been  lost.  It  is  not  lost* 
claimed  that  it  was  exercised  for  all  puq^oses. 
Russia  never  sought  to  prevent  vessels  from 
passing  through  Bering  Sea  in  order  to  reach  the 
Arctic  Ocean ;  nor  did  she  always  strictly  enforce 
the  prohibition  of  whaling  within  the  distance  of 
one  hundred  miles  from  its  shores;  but,  so  far  as 
the  fui'-seals  are  concerned,  it  will  be  made  to 
appear  in  what  follows  that  the  jurisdiction  in 
question  was  always  exercised  for  their  protec- 
tion. 


•Section  8  of  the  "Proceedings  of  the  Conference/'  Vol.  I,  p.  68. 
2716 8 


.ill; 


58 


THE    TKKATIES   OF    1824    AND   1825. 


'    !:'i!l 


'   'I 

*  Mi !,,:;:,  !■:!:"  iiij 


;i:ii:H:.,!i,||.| 


Hy  troatirs  Riis-      wj^jj  veffHrd  to  wluit  nuiy  1)0  tcniictl  the  terri- 

8ia  n'liin|ui8h«'(l  "  -^ 

coast  ciuimed"  "' torial  dispute,  it  }ip[)oar8  from  an  examination  of 
the  correHpondence  and  treaties  that  the  soutliern 
boundary  of  the  Russian  territories  was  fixed  at 
latitude  54°  40'  N.,  wliereby  she  reHufpiished  a 
large  portion  of  the  Nortlivvest  Coast  which  she 
had  claimed  by  the  ukase  of  1821,  and  thfit  the 
coasts,  interior  waters,  etc.,  upon  and  in  wliich  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  wei'e  }\llowe<l  to 
trade  for  ten  years  without  restrictions,  were 
limited  on  the  Avest  by  Yakutat  Bay  and  Mount 
St.  Elias;  that  is  to  say,  that  this  rig-lit  was 
restricted  to  the  coast  line,  concerning  the  owner- 
ship of  which  there  may  have  been  some  possible 
dispute.^  The  specific  declarations  in  the  British 
treaty  of  1825  as  to  the  line  of  coast  and  water 
to  which  access  and  trade  were  thus  granted 
leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  what  coast  was 
intended;  and  that  the  above  limitation  was 
understood  by  Russia  is  expressly  stated  by  the 
Minister  of  Finance  in  his  communication  of 
September  4, 1 824,  already  cited. 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  at  the  eipira- 
tion  of  this  ten  year  clause,  both  the  United 
States  and  England  made  strenuous  but  futile 


'  Art.  IV  of  the  treaty  of  1824  and  art.  VII  of  the  treaty  of  1825. 
Compare  art.  Ill  of  the  treaty  of  1818  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  Vol.  I,  p.  34. 


THE   TREATIES    OF    1824    AND    1825. 


59 


10(1  tlio  terri- 
Mininatioii  of 
tho  southern 
was  fixed  at 
Hn(|uislie(l  a 
st  wliicli  she 
and  that  tlie 
in  wliich  the 
e  alh)wed  to 
utioiiiS,  were 
^  and  Mount 
s  right  was 
^  the  owner- 
ime  possible 
11  the  British 
St  and  water 
lus  granted 
coast  was 
itation  was 
ated  by  the 
mication  of 

the  expira- 
tlie  United 
but  futile 

tr.'aty  of  1825. 
United  Stot«8 


efforts  to  obtain  a  renewal  of  its  provisions.*  The 
Tnited  States  expressly  recognized  that  after 
1 8ii4  tliis  clause  had  ceased  to  l)e  oi)erative,  as  is 
proved  not  only  by  their  course  in  the  case  of 
the  Loriot,^  but  more  particularly  by  the  fact 
that  in  1845,  at  the  renuest  of  tlie  Russian  Gov- 
ernment, they  caused  to  be  published  a  notice,' 
reminding  the  owners  of  American  vessels  of  the 
prohibition  of  trade  which  existed  in  regard  to 
the  coast  in  question. 

Tlie  great  object  had  in  \new  by  the  R«s»i5''>  i„  ^"rhunp''''f{'i-r- 
Government  in  excluding  Bering  Sea  froni  thel,"^,:^!!',^!,!^"!^^^'^^^^^^^^^^ 
effect  of  the  treaties  of  1824  and  182.'),  and  also  Ii,7^'t,^y  " 
in  limiting  the  privilege  of  access  and  trade  for 
even   ten  years  to  the  coast  south  and  east  of 
Yakutat  Bay,  was  obviously  the  protection  of 
the  valuable  fur  industry,  the  right  to  derive 
profit  from  which  was  the  exclusive  franchise 
of  the    Russian  American  Company.      This    is 
apparent  in  all  the  correspondence  between  the 
Government  and  the  Company  following  the  pro- 
tests against  the  ukase  and  attend! nj*'  the  ncnfo- 
tiations  c  f  the  treaties.     The  Minister  of  Finance 


JJii 


'  The  iliploiiiatic  currespoiulenoe  between  the  (.'nited  States 
and  Russia  relating  hereto  is  contained  in  the  documents  adfnui- 
]ian,ving  the  message  of  the  President  of  tlie  United  States  to  Con- 
gress, December  3,  1838,  and  in  Senate  Ex.  Doc.  No.  1(H!,  pp.  223-24(3. 

•  Note  of  Mr.  lUaiue  to  Sir  .lulian  Pauucefote,  June  30,  1800, 
Vol.  I,  p.  224. 

■■>  Vol.  I,  p.  91. 


^ 


60 


THE   TREATIES   OP   1824    AND   1825. 


r 


"iiiiii 


:ili'' 


lii-'iiiif 


iii^JxciuinnK^K '" '''*^  communication  of  July  18,  1822,  to  tlie 
l^'^mit'ilrras"  r'o- '**^^''*^  ^^  administration  wrote,  in  view  of  a  pro- 
fi'ilMtiy.  "'  ""^  *""i)(>8e(l  modification  of  the  ukase,  as  follows: 
"At  the  same  time  I  am  authorized  to  assure  you 
that  every  effort  will  be  made  to  secure  the  adop- 
tion of  such  rules  as  will  effectually  protect  tlu; 
Russian  American  Company  from  inroads  on  the 
part  of  foreigners  upon  their  vested  privileges, 
in  strict  conformity  not  only  with  the  privileges 
granted  by  highest  act,  but  also  with  the  edict 
of  September  4,  1821."i 

Under  date  of  April  11,  1824,  Count  Nessel- 
rode.  Chancellor  of  the  Empire,  wrote  to  N.  S. 
Mordvinof,  of  the  board  of  administration,  in 
part  as  follows:  "It  is  hardly  necessary  for  mo 
to  repeat  that  in  all  these  negotiations  with 
England  we  have  recognized,  and  always  will 
recognize,  the  paramount  importance  of  the 
mterests  of  the  Russian  American  Company  in 
this  matter."^ 

Under  date  of  August  18, 1824,  Count  Nessel- 
rode,  in  communicating  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee, already  noticed,  to  the  Minister  of  Finance, 
wrote:  "I  flatter  myself  with  the  thought  that 
these  documents  will  convince  you,  most  gra- 
cious sir,  as  well  as  the  board  of  administration  of 

'  Vi)l.  I,  p.  63. 
•Vol.  I,  p.  65. 


liiiiiiiililli! 


^^f 


1822,  to  the 
iew  of  a  pm- 
aa  follows: 
to  assuro  you 
luro  the  adop- 
y  protect  the 
iiroads  on  the 
ed  privileges, 
the  privileges 
nth  the  edict 

yoiint  Nessel- 
rrote  to  N.  S. 
inistration,  in 
388ary  for  mo 
)tiatioii8  with 
i  always  will 
ance  of  tho 
Company  in 


ount  Nessel- 
of  the  com- 
er of  Finance, 
thought  that 
11,  most  gra- 
ninistration  of 


PERIOD   FROM    1S25   TO   1807. 

the  Hussion  American  Company,  that  it  is  His 
Majesty's  firm  determination  to  protect  the  Com- 
pany's interests  in  the  catch  and  preservation  of 
^11  marine  animals,  and  to  secure  to  it  all  the 
advantages  to  which  it  is  entitled  under  tho 
charter  and  privileges."' 


PERIOD   BETWEEN  THE  TREATIES  AND  THE  CES- 
SION OF  ALASKA  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES  IN  1867. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  there  is  found    """"'"."""♦'"""'J 

'^        "^'  to  (ixuri'ise  ('(introl 

positive  confii-mation  that  by  the  treaties  of  1824"^"' "•"'"« ''^'^^"• 
and  1825  Russia  did  not  surrender  her  claim  to 
exclusive  control  of  trade,  and  especially  of  tho 
fur  industry,  in  Bering  Sea,  in  the  fact  that  the 
same  control  over  the  waters  of  that  sea  was 
enforced  after  the  date  of  those  treaties  as  before. 

The  second  charter  of  the  Russian  American  Thir<i  charter  of 
Company,  which  was  granted  for  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  was  confirmed  in  1829,*  except  in 
so  far  as  it  had  been  modified  by  the  treaties  of 
1824  and  1825,  and  was  thus  renewed  with  all 
its  exclusive  franchises  for  another  period  of 
twenty  years  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1842. 
The  new  charter  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix.' 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  68. 
■^  Vol.  I,  p.  27. 

>  Vol.  I,  p.  28.    The  charter  was  not  actually  issued  until  Oct. 
14,  1844. 


T^— P 


62 


PERIOD    FROM    1825    T*     186r. 


,,ii3li.;;:,;;;,;viiijj|;iiii!tiilitj 
Hit; 


«»''''' !!'!Pi!f^l!ii 


;!!r(ii!il 
i 

i.i;  illlli 


TLiniiiiaiteroflts  first   sectioii  18  as   *r*llows :    "Tlie   Russian 

Coiii]iaiiy. 

Ainericau  C(.)ni|)any,  estaii)lisne(l    for  trading  on 

the  continent  of  Nortiiwt^em  Anie -la,  and  on 

the  Aleutian  and  Kuriles  Islands,  amd  iu  ever}- 

part  of  the  Northeastern   Sea,  stands  under  the 

most  hig-h  protection  of  His  Imperial   Majesty." 

PTiffh  value      After  this  charter  was  o-ranted,  nie  Govern- 
l>liii't'<l  by  (' <) III  - 
puny  niM.ii  riii-.^eiii  meiit  coiitiiiued  to  pr<'>tect  the  sealinj:   interests 

iiulustiy.  ^ 

of  the  Company  in  liering  Sea,  and  (d  these  the 
board  at  St.  Petersbm*g-  wrote  March  31,  1840, 
to  tshe  chief  manager  of  the  Colonies:  "  You  will 
bear  in  mind  that  we  look  upon  tbe  fur-seal 
catch  as  the  most  impontant  item  of  oar  <  •colonial 
enterprises,  which  mu»t  be  preserrsed  at  all 
hazards,  even  to  the  temporary  neglect  f^'  other 
pesHiia-oes.  Everything  must  be  done  tn  irrev^it 
a  ile-M-ease  or  the  extermination  of  these  vaiualde 
aiiuKiiis."^ 

Aim  March  20,  1853,  the  Ix-ard,  in  writiias:  to 
the  relief  manager  of  the  Colonies,  again  ised 
simiuir  Umgiiage  in  a  letter  more  fully  referred 
to  i*-ii»w:  "The  board  of  adniinistration  resjx^tl- 
HrtR  that,  in  cui»»?  the  interests  of  the 
ly  i¥«|iBire  a  deviation  from  your  plaons, 
your  e5w<?lkittcy  will  never  lose  sight  of  the  ttitrt 
that  tilne  inter«^ts  of  tht:  (Joiupany  are  centered  .it 
the  pnesent  naue  in  th«-  district  surrounding  tke 
'  Vol.  1,  p.  n. 


i* 


I 


r^Sf'W''^ 


le  Russian 
trading  on 
ca,  and  on 
d  in  ever}' 

under  the 
1  Majesty." 
le  Govern- 
ig-  interests 
d  tliese  the 
h  '61,  1840. 

'*  You  will 
ke  fur-seal 
)WT  ••((jonial 
Tsed  at  all 
set  (r  other 
!  t»  ^event 
se  vaiuaiile 

I  writiii^sr  to 

agani     ised 

ly  referred 

on  res|>et't- 

ests  ol"  the 

our  pliuas, 

of  tlie  iiA(!t 

centered  -tt 

UHlinsr  tht^ 


PERIOD    riiOM    1825    TO    1«67. 

seal  islands  of  the  Priljilo.^"  and  Commander 
fjrotips,  ami  that  consec^ufiitly  die  colonial  waters 
muHt  be  visited  by  the  Company's  cruisers  coii- 
stantly  and  in  every  part,  >n  order  to  Avatch  and 
warn  the  f(>reif*"n  whalers.'" 

The  coimnunicution  just  cited  throws  mucli    w.ii 

l|llt'Ill('C 

lijicht  u])on  the  commercial  activity  of  the  Russian  mmU  |.ii 
American  Company,  and  may  be  acce])ted  as 
indicative  of  the  methods  by  which,  duriii<^-  the 
last  term  of  its  charter,  it  enforced  its  control  "in 
the  colonial  waters"  of  its  interests  "centered  at 
the  ])l•^'^ent  time  in  the  district  surrounding-  the 
heal  islands  of  the  Pribilof  group."  It  appears 
timt  during  those  years  the  Company  gave  em- 
])l()yment  to  eight  ships  in  the  summer,  and  in  the 
winter  to  seven,  without  coiniting  its  whale  ships, 
Lieferring  to  the  duties  of  one  of  its  officials,  who 
was  to  inspect  certain  of  its  stations,  it  is  said : 
"This  agent  must  observe  and  keep  a  record  of 
all  foreign  ships  seen  during  the  voyage,  and  of 
the  position  of  the  same  when  observed,  for  the 
information  of  commanders  of  our  armed  cruisers 
and  of  tiie  colonial  authorities  in  Sitka,  Kam- 
chatka, and  Ayan." 

In  the  same  letter  is  contained  the  following 
protective  scheme,  Avliich  had  been  adoi)ted  by 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  72,71. 


G3 


('  r  s    I  ro- 
I    li  y    lur- 
Inil'ltil    l).v 
iiniii'il  (  Tiiistis. 


'^mji 


64 


PERIOD    FROM    1825    TO    1867. 


Wiitors  frR-|]j,,  Coiripanv,  and  wliicli  was  to  he  carried  out 

(HU'lltcil     liy    t  II  1'-  1  ^    ' 

mdcmiH^vL^'^ ^y  ^ts  vessels  duriu^  the  smnnier  of  1854: 

*'  2.  One  of  the  larg-er  vessels  should  leave  the 
port  of  New  Archanjrj'cl  (Sitka)  for  Ayan  not  later 
than  the  15th  of  May,  to  arrive  at  the  latter  port 
at  the  end  of  June.  This  ship,  which  must  be 
armed,  Avill  carry  passenjjfers,  stores,  and  sup- 
plies for  our  Asiatic  stations.  On  the  outward 
voyage,  the  course  of  this  vessel  should  be  laid 
to  the  northward  of  the  chain  of  the  xVleutian 
Islands,  in  order  to  meet  forcin^n  shi])s  entering- 
Beriujj!'  Sea  and  to  warn  them  ag-ainst  cruising'  in 
pursuit  of  whales  in  the  vicinity  of  the  seal  islands 
of  the  Pribilof  and  Commander  groups.  .  .  . 
"3.  A  second  smnll  vessel,  the  swiftest  of  the 
fleet,  probably  the  Motshikof,  with  a  naval  crew 
and  commanded  by  a  naval  officer,  must  sail  from 
Sitka  at  the  end  of  April  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
watching  the  foreign  whale  ships  in  the  southern 
part  of  liering  Sea  and  along  the  chain  of  the  Ale- 
utian Islands  On  this  vessel  sui)plies  may  be  for- 
warded to  Copper  and  Bering  Islands  and  per- 
haps to  Attn  and  Atka.  .  .  .  This  vessel 
must  be  kept  cruising  constantly  over  the  waters 
mentioned  above,  and  must  not  enter  any  <»f  the 
harbors  except  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  Avatei' 
and  wood,  on  which  occasions  the  stay  of  the 


,.#«« 


iivried  out 
Sr)4: 

I  leave  tlie 
111  not  later 
latter  port 
li  must  be 
,   and  sup- 
e  outward 
dd  be  laid 
e  Aleutian 
)s  enterin}^'' 
cruisin<2;  in 
seal  islands 
s.      .      .     . 
ftest  of  the 
naval  erevv 
Lst  sail  from 
purpose  of 
le  southern 
of  the  xVle- 
raay  be  for- 
s  and  per- 
'his    vessel 
the  waters 
any  of  the 
nin<^  water 
stay  of  the 


PERIOD    FROM    1825    TO    1867. 


65 


II  r- 


m 


f 


vessel  nuist  be  limited  to  the  briefest  pos'^ible^^^i^^;,'^*,'"',^*'^. '"j.J'j 
period.  Each  of  the  {ibove-meiitioiied  ishuuls'^'';',';^,,/'^'^\'j"^^ 
nnist  be  visited  by  this  cruiser  at  least  twice  dur- 
inir  the  season.  .  .  .  The  conclusion  of  this 
cruisinji'  voyajj^e  de])ends  u})on  the  time  at  which 
the  toveij^ii  whale  ships  leave  Berhig-  Sea,  whicli 
is  proljably  at  the  end  of  August  or  the  begiii- 
iiing  of  Se})tend>er.     .     . 

"5.  The  second  large  vesscd  must  be  employed 
to  sui)ply  the  islands  of  the  Unalaska  district, 
the  l*ri))ilof  Islands,  and  St.  Michael's  redoubt, 
and  also  to  carry  on  intercourse  with  the  coast 
tril^es  <»f  Iki'ng  Sea  on  the  Asiatic  as  well  as 
on  the  American  coasts.  .  .  .  During  the 
whole  time  of  the  presence  of  this  ship  in  the 
northcti!  ]"!art  of  Bering  Sea  and  the  viciii'ty 
t»f  the  Pi  ibilof  Islands,  the  commander  must  be 
chai'ged  with  the  duty  of  cruising  in  search  of 
foreign  Avhale  ships  and  of  English  vessels  i'arry- 
ing  on  trade  with  our  savages.     This  ship,  also, 

nmst  make  no  prolonged  stay  at  any  anchorage, 
and  must  be  placed  under  the  command   of  a 

naval  oflficer,  with  a  crew  consisting  principally 

of  sailors  of  the  navy.     .     .     . 

"7.  The  fourth  large  vessel  of  the  fleet,  whicli 

may  be  used  for  voyages  to  Kamchatka,  must 

als(»  be  fitted  out  as  an  armed  cruiser,  and  kept 

in  readiness  to  proceed  to  any  point  in  Bering 
2710 9 


'1 

Ill; 

iiiii 
ill 

'! 

':, ! 

V  '! 

i 

.i:;lllii! 

66 


PERIOD    FROM    1825    TO    1867. 


is-'-,: 


Waters     fre- ggr,^  qj.  jj^  gH^Qj.Jj^j^  ^yr^|^^^,.^    f^.^^^^    wlll'ch    tllG    prCS- 

aimed  crui'sei!^^^  ''"^  ^^^^^  ^^^  foreig-ii  slups  lua)^  be  reported  by  the 
smaller  vessels  in  the  course  of  the  season.  .  .  . 
"In  transmittmg  to  your  excellency  the  above 
outlined  plan  for  the  employment  of  the  coloni;il 
fleet,  the  board  of  administration  respectfulh- 
requests  that,  in  case  the  JTiterests  of  the  CompanA- 
require  a  deviation  from  our  plans,  your  excel- 
lency will  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the 
interests  of  the  Company  are  centered  at  the 
present  time  in  the  district  surrounding-  the  seal 
islands  of  the  Pribilof  and  Commander  groups, 
and  that  consequently  the  colonial  waters  must 
be  visited  by  the  Company's  cruisers  constantly 
and  in  every  part,  in  order  to  v.atch  and  warn 
the  foreign  whalers.  B'or  this  purpose  detailed 
instructions  have  been  formulated  for  our  cruisers, 
as  well  as  for  the  commanders  of  the  whale  shi[)s 
of  the  Company,  which  are  obliged  to  serve  in 
the  capacity  of  cruisers  when  engaged  in  whaling 
in  Bering  Sea.  In  all  cases,  the  command  of  a 
vessel  under  orders  to  cruise  in  colonial  waters 
must  be  given  to  naval  officers,  who  will  vhereby 
find  an  oj)portunity  to  make  themselves  ac- 
quainted with  the  routine  of  colonial  trans- 
actions, while  at  the  same  time  their  rank  will 
give  authority  to  our  proceedings."^ 

'  Vol.  1,  p.  72. 


!i  :  I, 


M:: 


i:l!!l;i:,.'ri!''-';''l 


;li  the  pres- 
itetl  by  tlio 
son.  .  .  . 
;y  the  above 
the  coloiiiiil 
respectfully 
lie  Company 
j'^our  excel- 
fact  that  the 
ered  at  the 
ling-  the  seal 
ider  groii[)s, 
waters  must 
•8  constantly 
h  and  warn 
ose  detailed 
our  cruisers, 
whale  ships 
to  serve  in 
d  in  whaling 
>mmand  of  a 
onial  waters 
will  vhcrel)y 
mselv(3s  ae- 
onial  trans- 
ir  rank  will 


PERIOD    PROM    1825   TO    1867. 


6T 


■m. 


'1 


■i* 


Under  date  of  June  20,  1861,  the  chief  man-    Fnrtiipr  instnic- 

tions  au   to  cruis- 

acer  of  the  Colonies  wrote  to  Benzeman,  of  the »"« 
Imperial  navy,  commanding-  the  steamer  Alex- 
mulcr  the  Second,  in  part,  as  follows :  "It  has 
come  to  my  knowledg^e  that  in  the  present  year 
two  wlialing-  vessels  have  sailed  from  San  Fran- 
cisco for  the  purpose  of  trading-  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands  or  of  hunting-  in  their  vicinity.  Conse- 
(juently  I  would  su^g-est  that  during-  your  pres- 
ence in  those  waters  you  will  exercise  the  duties 
of  an  armed  cruiser,  to  prevent  any  unlawful 
acts  on  the  part  not  only  of  these  vessels,  but  of 
any  others  which  you  may  find  in  Bering-  Sea."^ 

Lastly,  there  was  issued  from  Sitka  in  the  year    Proclamation  of 

•^  ,  _  ,  "^  lH6t  KB  t(.  tratlc  iu 

1864  the  following  in-oclamation  :  "It  is  hereby  Russian   territory 

,  .  ."U'l  waters. 

proclaimed  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  that  if 
any  person  or  persons  after  reading  these  pres- 
ents does  not  immediately  abandon  Russian  ter- 
ritory or  waters,  or  if  they  continue  forbidden 
trade  or  traffic,  they  shall  be  seized  immediately 
upon  the  arrival  of  the  first  Russian  vessel  upon 
the  scene  of  their  illeg-al  transactions  and  taken 
for  trial  to  New  Archangel  (Sitka);  and  all  goods, 
as  well  as  the  vessel  found  in  possession  of  such 
persons,  shall  be  confiscated."^ 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  74. 
«  Vol.  I,  p.  80. 


68 


PERIOD   FROM    1825    TO    1867. 


^:h:;:| 


wi.aiitig  com-     Ij^  1350  there  had  been  granted  to  the  Russo- 

piniy      jiniliibited  " 

t!rs\n'm?.!i"uMiTy  Fiuiiish  Whaling"  Company  a  charter  which  con- 
f..r-8cais.  ^^j^^g^^  ^j^g  following  provision :  "Tlie  ships  of  tho 

Whaling  Company  entering  the  ports  of  the  Rus- 
sian American  Company  are  subject  to  harbor 
regulations  established  for  the  guidance  of  all 
shipping,  but  they  must  not  anchor  or  cruise  in 
waters  where  the  presence  of  ships  or  the  pursuit 
of  whales  may  alarm  any  marine  animals  or  intei- 
fere  with  the  regulations  of  the  Company  for  their 
protection  and  increase."^ 

While  the  foregoing  only  purports  to  be  a 
municipal  regulation,  yet  it  is  useful  as  furnish- 
ing another  illujitration  of  the  constant  })rotectioH 
which  the  Russian  Government  extended  to  its 
seal  herds. 

The  third  charter  of  the  Russian  American 
Company  expired  in  18G2,but  tho  Company  nev- 
ertheless continued  to  operate  under  it  pendinj;' 
the  decision  of  the  question  of  its  renewal  for 
another  term.  With  regard  to  tho  latter  it  was 
at  first,  in  18fi5,  decided  to  extend  the  Company's 
privileges  only  to  the  region  about  Boring  Sea;'- 
but  the  following  year  it  was  determined  byilie 
Council  of  State,  in  an  opinion  which  will  be 

'  Sec.  II,  §  9.  The  full  text  ol'  the  charter  will  be  foiiud  in 
Tikhiiieiiiof,  vol.  II,  apj).  p.  1  <'t  neq. 

"Letter  I'roiii  the  Department  <>('  Coiiimerce  aii<i  Miinut'actnri's 
to  the  hoard,  June  19,  1865,  coutaiuiug  report  of  tlie  Minister  ol 
Finance,  Vol.  I,  p.  75, 


IVriod  from  1862 
to  IbiiT. 


j.iiiiii 


PERIOD    FROM    1825   TO    1867. 


G9 


to  tlie  Russo- 
or  which  coii- 
le  ships  of  tli(> 
ts  of  the  Rus- 
set to  harl)()r 
i (hi nee  of  nil 
c  or  cruise  in 
:tr  the  pursuit 
nials  or  iiiter- 
pany  for  their 

orts  to  be  a, 
ul  as  furuish- 
int  })rote('tioii 
tteiided  to  its 

ian  American 

onipaiiy  uev- 

)r  it  pendiuo' 

renewal  for 

latter  it  was 

e  Conipan}''s 

liering-  Sea;'-' 

niiied  by  ihe 

Inch  will  be 

svill  bo  found  in 

lA  Manufficturi's 
'  tlie  Mixister  ol 


fM 


found  in  the  Appendix/ that  "the  exclusive  rijTht^/j^J^"'^''romi862 
of  the  Company  to  eng-ag-e  inthe  fur  trade  throuo^h- 
out  the  entire  colonial  territory  shall  be  contin- 
ued." No  new  charter,  however,  was  granted, 
for  the  year  following  witnessed  the  transfer  of 
the  territory  of  Alaska  to  the  United  States. 

From  the  foregoing  historical  review  it  appears:    ConciiiHiona 

fniiii  t'orcgoiiig  re- 

Fii-st.   That  prior  and  up  to  the  date  of  the  view, 
treaties  of  1824  and  1825,  Russia  did  assert  and 
exercise  exclusive  rights  of  connnerce,  Ininting, 
and  fishing  on  the  shores  and  in  all  the  waters 
of  Bering  Sea. 

Second.  That  the  body  of  water  known  as 
Bei-ing  Sea  was  not  included  in  the  phrase 
"  Pacific  Ocean,"  as  used  in  the  treaty  of  182.5. 

Third.  That  after  said  treaty  of  1825  the  Rus- 
sian Government  contiiuied  to  exercise  exclusive 
jurisdiction  over  the  whole  of  Bering  Sea  up  to 
the  time  of  the  cession  of  Alaska  to  the  United 
States,  in  so  far  as  was  necessary  to  preserve  to 
the  Russian  American  Company  the  monopoly 
of  the  fur-seal  industry,  and  to  proliibit  the  taking 
on  the  land  or  in  the  water  by  any  other  persons 
Of  companies  of  the  fur-seals  resorting  to  the 
Pribilof  Islands. 

Fourth.  That  before  and  after  the  treaty  of 
1825,  and  up  to  the  date  of  the  cession  of  Alaska 

»  Vol.  I,  i>.  79. 


"■'■  •• '  i 

,1, 

!l 

M 
1 

made. 


iri'll 


70  CKSSION   OF   ALASKA 

to  the  lTiiito<l  States,  Britisli  sulnjects  and  liritisli 
vessels  were  prohibited  from  euterin*^  lieriiiy 
Sea  to  hunt  fur-seals,  and  that  it  does  not  ap})eiir 
that  the  British  Government  ever  pr()t<'st((l 
against  the   enforcement  of  this  prohibition. 

CESSION  OF  ALASKA  TO   THE   UNITED   STATES  BY 
THE  TREATY  OF  1867. 

uns,.i.i  rc.i.^.ito     Oil  March  30,  18G7,  the  Governments  of  the 

Linfod    Stales    a  '  ' 

iK.rti.m  (.1-  iseriiij?  United  States  and  Russia  celebrated  a  treatv, 

Sea.    No  ol)jtM'tioii  •'  ' 

whereby  all  the  jwssessioiis  of  Russia  on  tlic 
American  continent  and  hi  the  waters  of  l^eriny 
Sea  were  ceded  and  transferred  to  the  United 
States.'  This  treaty,  which,  prior  to  its  final  con- 
summation, had  been  discussed  in  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States'-  and  by  the  press,  was  an  as- 
sertion by  two  g-reat  nations  that  Russia  hiul 
heretofore  claimed  the  (nvnership  of  Bering  Sea, 
and  that  she  had  now  ceded  a  portion  of  it  to  the 
United  States;  and  to  this  asserticm  no  objection 
is  ever  lown  to  have  been  made. 
Bomidaiios  of     Article  I  of  this  treaty  estaldishes  the  bouii- 

jirilor.V  c»;(lt'(l.  '' 

daries  of  the  territory  ceded.  It  takes  for  tlie 
eastern    boundary     the     line    of     demarcation 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  43. 

«  House  Ex.  Doc.  No.  177,  Fortieth  (/'oiigress,  Becoud  session,  pp, 
124  el  (teg. 


te 


ill 
3!, 


^00 


rHE    UNITED    STATES. 


71 


'ts  and  l^ritisli 

>e8  not  appoiir 
ver  protostcd 
Di-oliibition. 

ED   STATES  BY 

•nments  of  tlio 
•rtted  a  tioaty, 
Russia  on  tliu 
iters  of  Beriii^i' 
to  the  United 
to  its  final  ('»»h- 
.  the  Senate  «if 
ss,  was  an  as- 
at  Russia  hiul 
of  Bering  Sen, 
tion  of  it  to  the 
m  no  objectic»ii 

hes  the  boun- 
takes  for  the 
(leniareatitui 

8ccou<l  session,  pp. 


bot\v(3en  the  Russian  and  the  British  I)ossossi<>ns,^.^^:;;;;;,j''^^i^';|;^^''» 
in  North  America,  as  that  hue  was  estab- 
hslied  by  the  Jiritisli-Russian  treaty  of  iH'if).^ 
On  the  west  the  line  of  (h-nunvation  is  stated  as 
f()lh)ws:  "The  western  limit,  witliin  wliich  tlie 
territories  and  dominion  conveyed  are  con- 
tained, passes  tliroug-h  a  point  in  Behring's 
Straits  on  the  parallel  of  sixty-live  degrees 
thirty  miiuites  nortli  latitude,  at  its  intersec- 
tion by  the  meridian  which  passes  midway 
l)etween  the  island  of  Krusenstern,  or  Igna- 
htok,  and  the  island  of  Ratmanotf  or  Noonar- 
book,  iuid  proceeds  due  north,  without  limita- 
tion, into  the  same  Frozen  Ocean.  The  same 
western  limit,  beginning  at  the  same  hiitial  point, 
proceeds  thence  in  a  course  nearly  southwest, 
tlu'ougl)  Behring's  Straits  and  Behring's  Sea,  so 
as  to  pass  midway  between  the  northwest  point 
of  the  island  of  St.  Lawrence  and  the  southeast 
point  of  Cape  Choukotski,  to  the  meridian  of  one 
lumdred  and  seventy-two  west  longitude;  thence, 
from  the  intersection  of  that  meridian,  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  so  as  to  })ass  midway  between 
the  Island  of  Attn  and  the  Copper  Island  of  tlie 
Komandorski  cou})let  or  group  in  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean,  to  the  meridian  of  one  hundred 
and  ninety-three  degrees  west  lougitude,  so  as  to 
""vol.  I,  p  39! 


•I  I  ■'     1 . 


72 


CESSION   OF    ALASKA 


I!' 


: 


^'iiil'!sii 


''i 

Hfii 

lllj 

Vii' 

ll 

lltll 


l,lil 


includo  ill  tlie  territory  conveyed  the  wliole  of 
tlie  Aleiitijiii  Islands  east  of  that  ineridiaii." 
CcsHion  nil  in-     Article  VI  contains  the  following''  stipulation: 

ouuibuicd.  .    . 

"The  cession  of  the  territory  and  doininitin 
herein  made  is  hereby  declared  to  be  free  and 
unincnnibered  by  any  reservati^)ns,  privileges, 
franchises,  grants,  or  possessions  by  any  asso- 
ciated conn)anies,  whether  corporate  or  incorpo- 
rate, Russian,  or  any. other,  or  by  any  parties, 
excei)t  merely  private  individual  proi)erty  hoM- 
ers;  and  the  cession  hereby  made  conveys  all 
the  rights,  franchises,  and  privileg-es  now  beloiiji- 
ing'  to  Russia  in  the  said  territory  or  dominion, 
and  appurtenances  thereto." 
Rnssin's   rifihts     The    couclusioii   is    iiTcsistible    from  a  mere 

ovorsfjilcrics  |(iis8- 

ed  to  Luited«iii tea  reading  of  tliis  instrument  that  all  the  rights  of 
Russia  as  to  jurisdiction  and  as  to  the  sealeries 
in  Bering  Sea  east  of  the  water  boundary  fixed 
by  the  treaty  of  March  30,  18G7,  passed  unim- 
paired to  the  United  States  under  that  treaty. 
In  fact,  the  British  Government  has  announced 
its  readiness  to  accept  this  conclusion  without 
disi)ute.^ 
Roviow  of  juris-     The  jurisdiction  which  Russia  exercised  over 

diction     oxtMciscd  ,,      .         ^        /•  •  i  i        i 

i.y  K'lissiii  iUKi  ii(!i  nermg  bea  tor  a  century  prior  and  up  to  the  dale 
of  the  transfer  of  a  portion  of  its  coasts  and  waters 
to  the  United  States  has  been  so  fully  set  forth  that 

>  Lord  Salisbury  to  Mr.  Blaine,  Feb.  21, 1891,  Vol.  I,  p.  294. 


motives  therofbr. 


'il' 


-J 


V 


TO    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


78 


lie  whole  of 
iditui." 
stipulHtioii : 
d  doniinitm 
be  tree  ainl 
,  privileges, 
y  any  asso- 
)  or  incorpo- 
auy  parties, 
i)})erty  lioM- 
coiiveys  iill 
now  belon^- 
)r  dominion, 

rom  a  mero 

the  rij^hts  (if 

the  sealeries 

nidary  fixed 

)as8eduniiH- 

tliat  treaty. 

announced 

ion  without 

ercised  ovcu' 
)  to  the  date 
5  and  waters 
et  forth  that 
m.  1, 1)72947 


no  fiiriher  iiiMidKicjition  seems  neeessary.  The  ,.'\*."^''"^"'"l".'''"': 
(•(»iitrolliii}^'  motive  which  inspired  the  exercise  of|j>',^M^,'^^^''*'jj'^|^^^^^^^^^ 
tliis  jurisdiction  is  alsoapparent  from  the  foreg-oinfr 
liistorical  revitnv.  It  has  l)een  sliown  lierein  that 
the  Ivussiau  American  Company  possessed  a  mo- 
nopoly of  the  conunerce  of  Russian  territory  in 
America,  and  administered  its  ])ohtical  att'airs 
un(K'r  the  direction  of  the  Imperial  Government. 
It  lias  also  been  seen  that  the  great  source  of 
wealth  of  the  Russian  American  Company  was 
tlu^  fur-seals  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  in  liering 
Sea,  and  that  so  jealously  was  this  source  of 
wealth  guarded  by  the  orders  and  authority  of 
the  Imperial  Government  that  foreign  vessels 
were  prohibited  from  hunting  seals  in  any  part 
of  Hering  Sea,  or  in  the  passes  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands;  and  that  f<n'  the  enforcement  of  this 
prohibition  cruisers  were  em})loyed  in  patrolling 
that  sea  so  long  as  it  remained  Russian  territory. 

A  high  authority  on  the  subject  estiinates  the  vninc  of  fms 
value  of  the  furs  (largely  of  seals)  which  weresiou  '  '  " 
marketed  by  the  Russians  up  to  1823  at  a  sum 
equal  to  about  thirty-five  million  dollars';  and 
the  same  authoi-ity  states  tliat  the  furs  taken  and 
lost  at  sea  and  otherwise  in  those  years  exceeded 
the  nundier  which  reached  a  market.  Venia- 
minof,  the  Russian  bisho[),  in  his  work  on  the 


;71f»- 


-10 


Berg,  p.  168. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Sciences 

Corporation 


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WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

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■1;""'    ',         ' 

i| 

74 


CESSION  OF   ALASKA 


viiine  of  fnTsp,.||jiiQf  Jglands,  Oil  accoiint  of  the  ereat  wealth 

token  pnur  to  ccs-  '  ^ 

*'""*  derived  from  their  annual  harvest  of  furs,  speaks 

of  them  as  the  "golden  islands."*  The  tables 
which  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix '  set  forth 
the  vast  quantities  of  fur  skins  which  were  ex- 
ported from  the  Colonies  during  the  period  of  the 
Russian  occupancy  and  how  greatly  they  ex- 
ceeded all  other  sources  of  revenue  of  the 
Russian  American  Company. 
Their  vnine  w«?ii     Their  value  was  well  known  to  the  American 

kiiown   to   Ani«ri-  .  nnm  i        i  .i       • 

can  iK'gotintors,  negotiators  01  the  treaty  ot  1867,  and  while  it 

and  th«  chief  in-  t      .        i      i  ■,,,■, 

dnrrnunt  for  pur- must  bo  admitted  that  political  considerations 

chatie  of  Alaska. 

entered  into  the  negotiations  to  a  certain  extent, 
yet  so  far  as  revenue  to  the  Government  and 
immediate  profit  to  its  people  were  concerned,  it 
will  appear  from  a  careful  study  of  the  incidents 
attending  the  transfer  of  sovereignty  that  it  was 
the  fur  industry  more  than  all  other  considera- 
tions which  decided  the  United  States  to  pay  the 
sum  of  seven  million  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars required  by  Russia  for  the  cession  and  transfer 
of  her  sovereign  rights  and  property. 

'  Veniaininof,  vol.  I,  p.  277:  "Those  islands  might  be  called 
golden  on  account  of  the  high  value  of  fur-seal  and  soa-ottcr 
skiuH  shipped  from  there  from  their  discovery  up  to  the  present 
time  and  of  their  proniiHe  for  the  future.  ■  *  ■  What  an  im- 
mense capital  is  represented  by  all  the  skins  obtained  from  these 
,  islands,  and  what  sums  they  will  bring  in  the  future,  even  with 

the  present  limited  scope  of  the  industry.    There  are  not  many 
sach  places  in  the  world  affording  such  wealth  in  so  small  a  space 
and  in  return  for  so  little  exertion  on  the  part  of  man." 
*Vol.  I,  p.  125e(«eg. 


TO   THE    UXITED   STATES. 


76 


In  the  Fiftieth  Congress  a  committee  of  the  ^^r^j;^«'  ^^_ 
House  of    Representatives   made  a    long  and  JJti''?^,"';';",,"^ 
thorough  investigation  into  all  the  facts  attend-  mlde'^^uwdtlTim'^*' 
ing  the  fur-seal  industry  and  other  interests  of  '*''°  ""i""*  • 
Ahiska,  including  the  history  of  its   purchase 
from  Russia.     In  its  report,  as  one  of  the  results 
of  its  lengthy  examination,  the  committee  made 
the  following  statement:  "  By  referring  to  the  de- 
bate (in  Congress)  on  the  purchase  of  Alaska, 
and  the  contemporaneous  discussion  of  the  sub- 
ject by  the  periodicals  and  newspapers  of  this 
country,  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  acquisition  of 
the  products  of  Bering  Sea,  its  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals and  fisheries  were  regarded  as  an  important 
if  not  the  chief  consideration  for  the  purchase."* 

The  committee  then  quoted  the  declaration  of 
Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Foreign  Relations  of  the  Senate,  hi  the  speech 
which  he  delivered  in  advocacy  of  the  approval 
of  the  treaty  of  1867,  as  follows:  "The  seal, 
am])hibiou8,  polygamous,  and  intelligent  as  the 
beaver,  has  always  supplied  the  largest  multi- 
tude of  furs  of  the  Russian  Company."* 

The  congressional  committee,  after  making 
various  quotations  from  official  and  other  sources. 


llouMe  Ex.  Doc.  No.  3883,  Fiftieth  Coogroos,  twi-uiid  M^wiion,  p. 


xvii 


^Ibid.    The  sjieoch  will  lio  found  in  Huuae  Ex.  Doo.  No.  177, 
Fortieth  Congrvas,  hccouiI  siKsitm,  p.  \'2i. 


■IS'I'II! 


mm^:4 


■fe^ "   ■? 

'PUia'l'i.'    ■  r 

»3!t"f' ■  ,1 

n  ,  ■■;'    ;,''tf  "1|! 

■'ill    1iJ-'',    :.|!',Ml 

Jil'i''!-''  i,w?'''*'!i 


m 


I 


1 1:1 


(»'l-l 


iffiJi;.-:    :'^'H 


iiJ 

■ill 

k'    ' 

I?" 

IP- ' 

Te 


CESSION   OF  ALASKA 


Report  of  con- f^i^her  states:  "It  seems  to  the  committee  to 

gresHioiiHl    c  o  III  - 

t\v"rfo  "purchase ''*^®  ^®®*^  taken  for  granted  that  by  the  purchase 
"mi'So.u:r,vcOf  Alaska  the  United  States  would  acquire  ex- 
con  ac«iuire  .  ^lusive  Ownership  of  and  jurisdiction  over  Bering 
Sea,  including  its  products, — the  fur-seal,  sea- 
otter,  walrus,  whale,  codfish,  salmon,  and  other 
fisheries;  for  it  is  on  account  of  these  valuable 
products  that  the  appropriation  of  the  purchase 
money  was  urged. 

"The  extracts  above  quoted  in  reference  to 
these  products  are  emphasized  by  the  fact  that 
the  fur-seal  fisheries  alone  have  already  yielded 
to  the  Government  a  revenue  greater  than  the 
entire  cost  of  the  territory. 

"It  seems  clear  to  the  committee  that  if  the 
waters  of  Bering  Sea  were  the  'high  seas*  these 
products  were  as  free  to  our  fishermen  and  seal- 
hunters  as  the  Russians,  and  there  was,  therefore, 
no  reason  on  that  account  for  the  purchase.  But 
it  was  well  understood  that  Russia  controlled 
these  waters;  that  her  ships  of  war  patrolled  them, 
and  seized  and  confiscated  foreign  vessels  which 
violated  the  regulations  she  had  prescribed  con- 
ceniing  them;  and  the  argument  in  favor  of  the 
purchase  was  that  by  the  transfer  of  the  main- 
laud,  islands,  and  waters  of  Alaska  we  would 


TO   THE    UNITED   STATES. 


77 


acquire  these  valuable  products  and  the  right  to 
protect  them."  * 

The  committee,  in  the  report  quoted,  in  proof    Kevenne  j-froiv. 
of    the  great   value  of    the   fur-seal    industry  »*"*«?  I"'™   '">"■ 

"  J  aval    iiKliiHtry   ac- 

acciuired  from  Russia,  cited  the  fact  that  it  had^^""*"*  "•""'  ^*•"•- 
already  yielded  to  the  Government  a  revenue 
greater  than  the  entire  cost  of  the  territory. 
The  tables  in  the  Appendix^  show  that  there  has 
been  received  by  the  United  States  Treasury 
directly  from  the  lessees  of  the  Pribilof  Islands 
from  1870  to  1891,  the  sum  $6,226,239;  and  that 
there  has  been  received  from  import  duty  on  the 
same  skins  after  having  been  di'essed  and  dyed 
in  London  approximately  the  further  sum  of 
Sr),000,000;  so  that  the  total  receipts  of  the 
United  States  Treasury  from  the  Pribilof  fur-seal 
skins  have  amounted  to  about  $  1 1 ,000,000.  The 
tables  appended^  also  establish  the  fact  that  fur- 
seal  skins  constitute  more  than  half  of  the  total 
value  of  all  products  obtained  from  Alaska  from 
the  time  of  the  purchase  in  1867  down  to  1890. 
It  thus  appears  that  the  high  estimate  of  the  fur- 
seals  which  was  made  at  the  time  of  the  cession 
and  purchase  from  Russia  was  not  unfounded. 

■  HouHe  Ex.  Doc.  No.  3883,  Fiftieth  Couj^resB,  second  sessiou,  p. 
six. 
'  Vol.  I,  p.  130. 
*  "Nott'soii  the  Furludustry,  etc.,"  last  paragraph.  Vol.  I,  p.  125. 


■ffll'iai;;  ■ .,  '' ,,,  '!|  R 


78 


Mlllll 


KipflitH  nrqnireil 
from  KiiMHia  illns- 
ti'ulol    by    i-iiUbh 
qiinit    iK'titiii     of 
Uiiitud  8lut«ii. 


Arfion    of  Coii' 

gre88. 


PERIOD   SINCE   THE    TESSION. 


ACTION    OF    THE   UNITED    STATES    RELATIVE    TO 
ALASKA  SINCE  THE  CESSION. 

Further  Hj^^Iit  is  thrown  upon  the  understand- 
^jing-  ha<l  by  the  Government  of  the  United  Statics 
as  to  the  vahie  of  the  fur-seal  industry  and  II 
riglit  to  protect  it  within  the  territory  ceded  )>y 
Russia  in  the  treaty  of  18G7,  by  an  examination 
of  the  legislation  of  Congress  enacted  immedi- 
ately after  the  transfer  of  this  teiTitory,  of  the 
acts  of  the  Executive  in  carrying  out  this  legis- 
lation, and  of  the  decisions  of  the  United  States 
courts  in  regard  to  both. 

By  section  1  of  the  act  of  July  27,  1808,  Con- 
gress provided  "that  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  relating  to  customs,  commerce,  and  navi- 
gation be,  and  the  same  are  hereby,  extended  to 
and  over  all  the  mainland,  islands,  and  waters  of 
the  territory  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  by  treaty  concluded  at  Wash- 
ington on  the  thirtieth  day  of  March,  anno 
Domini  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-seven,  so  far 
as  the  same  may  be  applicable  thereto." 

Section  6  of  the  same  act  provided:  "  That  it 
shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person  or  persons  to 
kill  any  otter,  mink,  marten,  sable,  or  fur-seal,  t)r 


-«,,, 


PERIOD   SINCE   THE   CESSION. 


79 


other  fur-bearinir  animal,  within  the  limits  of  said    Artitm  of  Con- 
teiTitory,  or  in  the  waters  thereof.     .     .     ."* 

That  the  waters  above  referred  to  were  those 
of  the  eastern  half  of  Bering  Sea  not  only  appears 
from  the  language  of  the  treaty  itself,  but  also 
from  Mr.  Sumner's  definition  of  this  language 
publicly  given  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 
In  the  speech  already  cited,  in  describing  the  lino 
of  demarcation  drawn  in  the  treaty  through 
Bering  Sea,  he  refers  to  it  as  making  the 
western  boundary  of  our  country  the  dividing 
line  which  separates  Asia  from  America;  and 
he  speaks  of  the  waters  contained  within  this 
boundary  as  "  our  part  of  leering  Sea."^ 

I  The  abovo  .s«'ctioii8  liave  bcni  nsspoctivcly  incorporated  into 
thu  Uevi8<iil  StatntuH  of  the  Uuitetl  States  as  bectioiis  19.54  aud 
195«,  Vol.I,  ii.a5. 

^ House  Ex.  Doc.  No.  177,  Fortieth  Congress,  second  Hession,  at 
)i.  125.  Tollowing  are  extracts  from  the  above  speech :  "Starting 
from  the  Frozen  Ocean,  the  western  bonudary  descends  liclirin^; 
Stniits,  nxidway  between  the  two  islands  of  Krusenstern  and  Hat- 
niiiiiof,  to  the  panillel  of  65" 30',  jnst  below  wheic  the  continents 
of  America  anil  Asia  approach  eacli  other  the  nearest;  and  from 
tliis  point  it  proceeds  in  a  conrse  nearly  southwest  tliroutrli  Dehr- 
iiij;  Straits,  midway  between  the  island  of  St.  Lawrence  and  ('ape 
(/'houkotski,  to  the  meridian  of  172"  west  longitude,  anil  thence, 
in  a  sonthwest'crly  direction,  traversing  Hehring  Sea,  midway 
between  the  island  of  Attn  on  the  east  and  Capper  Island  in  the 
west,  to  the  meridian  of  193°  west  longitude,  leaving  the  pro- 
longed group  of  the  Aleutia:i  Islands  in  the  possesions  now 
transferred  to  the  United  States,  and  making  the  western  bonud- 
ary of  our  country  the  dividing  line  which  separates  Asia  from 
America." 

•  •  •  •  • 

"In  our  part  of  Bering  Sea  there  are  five  considerable  islands,  • 

the  largest  of  which  is  St.  Lawrence,  being  more  than  ninety-six 
miles  long." 


ii  'lii  I 


Mi 


80 

A<-tion  of  Con- 


PERIOD   SINCE   THE   CESSION. 


n- 


Ac-tinn  of  the 
Executive. 


By  the  act  of  Murcli  3,  18()9,  Coiif^ress  \m 
vided  "That  the  ishuids  of  St.  I'aul  ami  .St. 
George,  in  Ahwka,  be,  and  they  are  hereby,  <l(- 
clared  a  special  reservation  for  Government  pur- 
poses;"^ and  on  July  1,  1870,  an  act  •►f  Conj^Tess 
was  approved,  entitled  "An  Act  to  |)revent  tin- 
extern! illation  of  fur-bearing-  animals  in  Ahiska,"- 
particular  reference  being  had  to  the  fur-seals 
of  the  Pribilof  Islands. 

By  the  use  of  the  term  "in  Alaska"  in  the  two 
foregoing  acts,  Congress  clearly  recognizecl  the 
fact  that  Bering  Sea  was  a  part  of  the  territory 
of  Alaska,  for  the  islands  therein  referred  to  arc 
situated  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles  from 
the  maiidand. 

The  executive  branch  of  the  United  States 
Government,  in  carrying  out  the  foregoing  con- 
gressional legislation,  has  unifonnly  held  that  tlio 
United  States  have  authority  to  protect  their 
sealing  interests  throughout  that  portion  of  Ber- 
ing Sea  contained  within  the  western  boundary 
refeiTed  to  in  the  treaty  of  1867. 

On  the  12th  of  March,  1881,  the  Treasury  De- 
partment so  interpreted  the  law  in  a  letter  written 
to  Mr.  D.  A.  Ancona,  collector  of  customs  at  San 
Francisco.'    Speaking  of  this  western  boundary, 

i^ol.  I,  p.  92,  (15  Stat.,  348.) 
•Vol.  I,  p.  J»2,  (16  Stat.,  180.) 
»  Vol.  I,  p.  102. 


■t.-i 


l|l';':'^i  ^'lillii!;; 


PERIOD    SINCK    THK    fESSION. 


81 


Coiij^ress  pro- 
I'aul  Jiiul  St. 
ro  hereby,  tU- 
vernmeiit  pur- 
Lct  of  Ct>n;?ress 
to  [)reveiit  tlif 
Ills  in  Alaska,"- 
)   the  fur-seals 

ika"  in  the  two 
recoji^nized  the 
>f  the  territory 
referred  to  arc 
Ired  miles  from 

United  Stat(  s 
forej^oiug  eoii- 
ly  held  that  the 
protect  their 
portion  of  Ber- 
iteni  bouudar}- 

Treasury  De- 

a  letter  written 

customs  at  San 

tern  bouudar}-, 

~) 
V-) 


it  is  said:  "All  the  waters  within  that  boundary  to    A«tion  of  the 

Kxcculive. 

the  w«'steni  en«l  of  the  Aleutian  Ar('hipela<>-o  and 
chain  «>f  islands  are  considered  within  the  waters 
of  Alaska  Territory.  All  the  penalties  javscribod 
bv  law  against  the  killing  of  fur-bearing  animals 
w«)uld,  therefore,  attach  against  any  violation  of 
law  within  the  limits  before  described." 

This  decision  was  confirnu'd  by  the  Treasury 
Department  April  4, 1881,  and  again  on  March  6, 
1886.  On  this  last  occasion  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  wrote  as  follows :  "The attention  of  your 
predecessor  in  office  was  called  to  this  subject  on 
April  4,  1881.  This  communication  is  addressed 
to  you,  inasmuch  as  it  is  understood  that  certain 
parties  at  your  port  contemplate  the  fitting  out 
of  expeditions  to  kill  fur-seals  in  these  waters. 
You  are  requested  to  give  due  publicity  to  such 
letters,  in  order  that  such  parties  may  be  in- 
formed of  the  construction  placed  by  this  Depart- 
ment upon  the  provision  of  law  referred  to."^ 

Since  the  year  18G7  the  Treasury  Dei)artment    Ucv.-nnoi  niftns 

m'lit  to  l!t-i'iii;{  Sen 

has,  every  year,  with  a  single  exception,  sent  one  |:'.i»r«'teit  imstai 
or  more  revenue  cutters  to  Bering  Sea  for  the 
pui'pose  of  guarding  the  interests  of  the  United 
States  centered  there,^  inchuling  the  protection 

I  Vol.  I,  p  103. 

•Letter  of  the  Sceretiiry  of  tlio  'fieasiir.v  to  the  .Sucrt'tary  of 
!^tat<',  .luly  15,  1892,  Vol.  1,  p.  110. 
21Hj 11 


m 

'1 


82 


PERIOD   HINCE   THE  CESKION. 


411  §1 


1^1 1^' 


M 

f  Ml  I  1 

■4,.'. 


u.,;. 


IIS':-^' 


rl! 


VcMeis  anizedin  of  fur-seals,  asfaiiist  infractioiiH  of  the  law  relatiii<' 

1886  and  1887.  i  . 

to  them;  and  that  this  law  was  not  rej^anled  jis 
a  dead  letter  is  attested  bv  the  fact  that  in  18H(i, 
prior  to  which  time  vessels  had  not  entered  H(  r- 
ing  Sea  in  any  numbers  for  the  purpose  of  pelajfic 
sealing,  there  were  seized  in  those  waters  four 
vessels,  three  of  them  British,  while  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  there  were  seized  fifteen  vessels,  ot 
which  six  were  British;  the  foregoing  vessels, 
with  a  single  exception,  being  found  at  a  distance 
greater  than  three  miles  from  any  land.^ 

In  1888  unofficial  assurances  were  given  to 
the  British  Government  that  no  seizures  would 
be  made;  for  at  that  time  negotiations  were  beiiifjf 
carried  on  looking  to  an  amicable  adjustment  of 
the  points  at  issue  with  regard  to  Bering  Sea.- 
Congress  ratifies  By  act  of  March  3,  1889,^  Congi'ess  in  effect 
ratified  the  interjiretation  heretofore  made  by  tlie 
Executive  aw  to  the  boundary  of  the  United 
States  in  Bering  Sea,  as  well  as  the  seizures  ot 
vessels  made  under  its  orders  in  the  years  IHSfJ 
and  1887.  This  is  apparent  both  from  the 
language  of  the  act  and  from  the  debates  which 
preceded  its  enactment.  Its  third  section  is  as 
follows:    "That  section    1956   of   the   Revi.scd 

'  Tabl«  of  vessels  seized  in  Bering  Sea,  Vol.  I,  p  108. 
•  Mr.  Edwariles  to  Mr.  Bluiue,  Vol.  I,  p.  199. 
•Vol.  I,  p.  99. 


:ii  lion  of  Execu- 
tive. 


PERIOD   SINCE   THE    f'K88I0N. 


83 


Stjitntos  of  the  United  States  m  hereby  dechired 

to  iii(iiid«^  and  apply  to  all  the  dominions  of  the 

I'liitcd  States  in  the  waters  of  Behring  Sea,  and 

it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  President  at  a  timely  iu,„'tttion."'*'™* 

s«  jison  in  each  year  to  issue  his  proclamation  and 

cause  the  same  to  be  published,  for  one  month  at 

least,  in  one  newspaper  (if  any  such  there  bo) 

jtubiisiied  at  each  Unit  '1  States  port  of  entry  on 

the    Pacific   coast,  warning  all  persons  against 

entering  such  waters  for  the  purpose  of  violating 

the  provisions  of  said  section,  and  he  shall  also 

caus(3  one  or  more  vessels  of  the  United  States 

to  diligently  ciiiise  said  waters,  and  arrest  all 

persons  and  seize  all  vessels  found  to  be  or  to 

liave  been  engaged  in  any  violation  of  the  laws 

(»f  the  United  States  therein." 

Annually  since  the  enactment  of  this  law  the    VeaseU  seized  lo 

1889. 

1  'resident  of  the  United  States  has  issued  his  proc- 
liiination  accordingly,'  and  in  the  year  1889  the 
revenue  cutters  again  seized  vessels  disregarding 
its  [)ro visions,  captming  in  all  six,  five  of  which 
were  British.^  ♦ 

In  the  month  of  June,  1891,  the  United  States    Tiie  Modut  n- 

veniH, 

and  Great  Britain  agreed  upon  the  Modus  Vivendiy^ 
under  the  terms  of  which  both  Governments 
inidertook  to  protect  seal  life  in  the  waters  of 

'  Vol.  I,  p,  112. 

-'  Talilf  of  v»'HHel«  K«i/ed  iu  Beriug  St-u,  Vol.  I,  p.  108. 

»  Vol.  I,  p.  317. 


84 


% 


'jftiii 


■> 

% : 

I!'i 

'H  .j 

■  ■  li. 

mi 

!  "i 

mi' '  ■  .j 

.  1  ' 

1 

X '.',:,:;■' 

^  'il! 

Ai'lioniirrnitt'd 
Htutt'H  courts. 


Summary. 


PERIOD    aiNCK   THK    SKSSION. 

lierin^-  Son,  and  in  May,  1S92,  this  Moilus  was 
ronowwl  tor  the  season  of  1S92.' 

Ijastl y,  the  United  States  courts,  whenever  tlic 
({uestion  has  come  up  before  them,  liave  refus«'(l 
to  interfere  with  the  executive  branch  of  tlu^ 
Government  in  its  interi)retation  of  the  treaty 
of  18fi7  and  of  the  hiws  of  Conjp'oss  enacted 
on  the  basis  of  what  the  United  States  acquintl 
by  this  treaty.  Tlie  question  as  to  tlie  legahty 
of  the  seizures  of  British  vessels  made  bytlio 
United  States  revenue  cutters  in  the  year  1HS7 
within  the  eastern  portion  of  Herinj;  Sea  and  at 
a  distance  greater  than  three  miles  from  any 
land  came  up  for  decision  before  Judge  Dawson, 
of  the  United  States  court  for  the  district  of 
Alaska.  The  opinicm,  which  was  filed  Octolxr 
11,  1887,  is  given  hi  full  in  the  Appendix.'^  It 
will  be  seen  by  reference  to  it  that  the  court 
held  that  the  United  States  Government  has  au- 
thority to  protect  seal  life  throughout  the  eastern 
part  of  Bering  Sea,  included  within  what  is  termcil 
the  western  boundary  line  in  the  treaty  of  18<)7. 
Other  decisions  to  the  same  effect  will  be  found 
in  the  Appendix." 

The  foregoing  references  are  ma<le  in  order  to 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  6. 
•Vol.  I,  p.  115. 


W 


9*">ii: 


PERIOD  SINCE  THE  CESSION. 


85 


this  Modus  was 


liable  ill  order  to 


show:  first,  tlie  iinderstaiuliiig  which  existed  in    N"n>'"<»ry. 

the  United  States,  at  the  time  of  the  purchase  and 

cession  of  Alaska,  as  to  the  scope  and  effect  o( 

tlie  jurisdiction  exercised   by  Russia   over   the 

waters  of  Bering  Sea,  and  the  enhanced  value 

which  was  thereby  placed    upon   the  fur-seal 

herd  of  the  Pribilof  Islands;  and  second,  that 

the    United    States    have    since    the    purchase 

continued   to  exercise    the     same    jurisdiction 

for  the  purpose  of  protectiu;r  the  herd.     But  in    The  United 

'^      *  '  '  Stiitt'H  ilo  not  rt'Ht 

detennining  what  right  of  protetfion  or  propert}'  VutiMr"" mn "m u 
this  Government  has  in  th*^  iur-seals  frequent- I'l'l'^y^'ij"^"'"  "'''"■ 
ing  the  islands  of  the  Uni...J  States  ir  Bering  Sea 
when  such  seals  are  found  outsid  }  of  the  ordinary 
three-mile  limit,  it  is  not  compelled,  neither  does  it 
intend,  to  rest  its  case  altogether  upon  the  juris- 
diction over  Bering  Sea  established  or  exercised 
by  Russia  prior  and  up  to  the  time  of  the  cession 
of  Alaska.  It  asserts  that,  quite  independ- 
ently of  this  jurisdiction,  it  has  a  right  of  pro- 
tection and  property  in  the  fur-seals  frequenting 
the  Pribilof  Islands  when  found  outside  the  ordi- 
nary three-mile  limit,  and  it  bases  this  right  upon 
the  established  principles  of  the  common  and  the 
civil  law,  upon  the  practice  of  nations,  upon  the 
laws  of  natural  history,  and  upon  the  common 
interests  of  mankind . 


m  fi' 


» 


86 


PERIOD   SINCE   THE   CESSION. 


In  order  that  this  claim  of  right  of  protection 
and  property  may  be  clearly  presented,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  enter  in  some  detail  upon  an  exami- 
nation of  fur-seal  life  at  the  Pribilof  Islands  and 
elsewhere  and  of  the  various  interests  associated 
with  it 


PART  SECOND. 


RELATING  TO  THE  HABITS,  PRESERVA- 
TION, AND  VALUE  OF  THE  ALASKAN  SEAL 
HERD,  AND  TO  THE  PROPERTY  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES  THEREIN. 


m 


m 


Iff 


lii: 


'■'■s'":'i  ;Wr''•«■ 


tH 

^VjP 

'11 

i'h:    '           " 

ill 

li'll.i 

PART  SECOND. 

RELATING  TO  THE  HABITS,  PRESERVA- 
TION, AND  VALUE  OF  THE  ALASKAN 
SEAL  HERD,  AND  TO  THE  PROPERTY  OF 
THE  UNITED  STATES  THEREIN. 


HABITS  OF  THE  ALASKAN  SEAL. 
THE    PEIBILOF    ISLANDS. 

The  Pribilof  Islands  are  the  home  of  the  Alas- 
kan fur-seal  (Callorliinus  ursinus).  They  are 
peculiarly  adapted  by  reason  of  their  isolation 
and  climate  for  seal  life,  and  because  of  this 
peculiar  adaptability  were  undoubtedly  chosen 
by  the  seals  for  their  habitation.^  The  climatic 
conditions  are  especially  favorable.  The  seal, 
while  on  land,  needs  a  cool,  moist,  and  cloudy 
climate,  sunshine  and  warmth  producing  a  very 
injurious  effect  upon  the  animals.^  These  requi- 
site phenomena  are  found  at  the  Pribilof  Islands 
and  nowhere  else  in  Bering  Sea  or  the  North 

Note. — Names  found  in  citations  refer  to  depositions  of  same 
found  in  the  Appendix. 

'  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4;  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  164; 
T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  61 ;  C.  M.  Scammon,  Vol.  II,  p.  475;  Dai.- 
iel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  180;  J.  C.  Redpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 

«  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  164. 

2716 12 


89 


90 


HABITS   OF   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 


I- 


Climato. 


Pacific,  save  at  the  Commander  (Komandorski) 
Islands.^ 

From  May  to  November,  inclusive  (the  peri(  id 
when  the  majority  of  the  seals  are  on  land),  tlio 
mean  temperature  is  between  41°  and  42°  F.;- 
during  August,  the  warmest  month,  the  mean  is 
47.2°  F.;'  during  the  warm  months  of  June,  July, 
and  August  the  highest  temperature  reached  w:is 
62°,  which  occurred  but  once  in  eight  years,*  and 
the  lowest  was  28°,  which  was  reached  but  oud- 
during  the  same  period.*  This  constancy  of  tem- 
perature is  further  supplemented  by  the  absence 
of  sunshine  and  the  almost  continual  presence  of 
fogs,  mists,  or  light  rains.'  During  eight  years 
the  mean  percentage  of  cloudiness  on  the  islands 
for  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August  was 
92;'  while  during  that  period  of  eight  years,  con- 
sisting of  seven  hundred  and  thirtv-six  days,  but 
eight  clear  days  occurred  and  du"  ng  the  months 
of  August  not  one.*  The  same  peculiarity  (tf 
climatic  condition  has  also  been  obsei*ved  at  tlie 

>  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4. 

«  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  164;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  (51; 
Weather  Bureau  Tables,  Vol.  I,  p.  591. 
»  Weather  Bureau  Tables,  Vol.  I,  p.  591. 

*  Weather  Bureau  Tables,  Vol.  I,  p.  592. 

»  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4;   Samuel  Falconer,  v'  TJ,  p.  ici; 
T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  61 ;  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  11,  p.  12. 

•  Weather  Bureau  Tables,  Vol.  I,  p.  593. 


+:! 


uAm^. 


THE   PRIBILOF   ISLANDS. 


91 


organ,  Vol.  II,  i>.  61 ; 


iuitarctic  coasts  and  islands  once  frequented  by    ciunate. 
A  ast  herds  of  fur-seals.^ 

The  Ahiskan  seals  evidently  consider  the  JJ"*"**  »*' ^'**' f'"" 
rrihilof  Islands  as  their  home,  for  while  on  or 
about  them  they  are  much  less  timid  and  fear- 
ful than  when  met  with  in  the  sea  along  the 
American  coast.^  Capt.  C.  N.  Cox,  master  of 
tlie  schooner  E.  B.  Marvin,  who  was  examined  by 
Collector  Milne,  of  the  port  of  Victoria,  Briti^ih 
Columbia,  in  1892,  says:  "They  (the seals)  seem  .     , 

to  be  right  at  home  there  (in  the  waters  adja- 
cent to  the  islands)  and  not  traveling  about  so 
nmcli"' 

The  two  islands,  St.  Paul  and  St.  George,    s^.Pani  and  St. 

'  ^  °    'George. 

are  tlie  only  ones  of  the  Pribilof  group  on 
wliidi  breeding  seals  land.  The  shores,  com- 
})aratively  limited,  occupied  by  the  animals  are 
termed  "rookeries"  and  are  divided  into  "breed- 
in<j;'  grounds"  and  "hauling  grounds."* 

Tlie  "breeding  grounds"  or  "breeding  rook- 
eries "  (the  areas  occupied  by  the  breeding  seals 
and  their  offspring)  are  rocky  areas  along  the 
water's  edge,  covered  with  broken  pieces  of  lava 
of  various  sizes  and  shapes,  those  nearest  the  sea 
having  been  rounded  by  the  action  of  the  waves 

'  James  W.  niidington,  Vol.  II,  p.  594. 

2  Siiimiel  Faltoner,  Vol.  II, p.  165 ;  Daniel  Webster, Vol.  II,  p.  182. 
Miritish  Itliie  Hook,  U.  S.  No.  3(1892);  C— 6635,  p.  176. 
<  J.  Stanley  lirown,  Vol.  11,  p.  12. 


'Breeding 
grounds." 


EtK-';.,:'Kl 


fjliii*^; 


92 


"  Breeding 
grounds,'' 


"  Hauling 
groiiuds." 


HABITS   OP   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 

and  the  ice;  between  the  rocks  are  sometimes 
found  smooth  spaces  of  ground,  but  in  no  caso 
are  these  areas  of  any  extent,  and  they  vary 
greatly  in  size.  That  tliese  rough,  uneven  sliores 
are  chosen  for  the  breeding  gi'ounds  is  probably 
because  the  bowlders  act  as  a  protection  to  the 
new-born  seals  from  the  surf  and  storms,*  and 
also  because  the  smoother  rocks  offer  convenient 
resting  places  for  the  female  seals  in  parturition.^ 
The  "hauling  grounds"  (areas  occupied  by 
the  nonbreeding  seals)  are  the  sandy  beaclios 
at  one  side  of  the  breeding  grounds,  or  the 
smootlier  spaces  back  of  and  contiguous  to  the 
breeding  seals.'  The  areas  covered  by  the  rook- 
eries on  the  respective  islands  vary  considerably, 
being  in  the  ratio  of  about  seven  or  eight  on  St. 
Paul  to  one  on  St.  George.  Si.  Paul  is  mudi 
lov/er  than  St.  George,  the  shores  are  broader, 
and  more  territory  is  available  upon  it  for  occu- 
pation by  seals  than  on  the  latter,  which  accounts 
in  a  measure  for  the  disproportion  in  seal  popu- 
lation on  the  two  islands.*  The  former  island  has 
ten  rookeries  (the  largest  being  the  Northeast 
Point  Rockery),  and  the  latter  has  five.^ 

>  S.  N.  Buynitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  21. 

•  J.  Stanley  Brown, Vol.  II,  p.  15. 

•  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  12 ;  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  ICl. 
«  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  11. 

•J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  13. 


ii^ 


THE    PRIBILOF   ISLANDS. 


93 


couer,  Vol.  II,  p.  1G4. 


From  the  nature  of  the  ground  covered  by  the    Oimw  of  s«ai 

,      .      ,  ,  life  imiiosHililo. 

breeding  seals  it  is  impossible  to  reach  even  an 
approximate  estimate  of  the  number  of  seals  on 
these  islands.*  The  roughness  and  unevenness 
of  the  breeding  grounds  preclude  the  possibility 
of  calculating  the  number  in  a  given  area,  so  as 
to  obtain  a  rule  which  can  be  applied  to  other 
rookeries  or  to  other  portions  of  the  same  rookery 
in  estimating  the  seal  population.  The  density 
of  seal  life  varies  according  to  the  size  and  fre- 
quency of  the  rock  masses  and  what  might  be  a 
conect  rule  for  one  locality  would  be  entirely 
incorrect  for  another.  Besides  this,  the  seals  are 
constantly  in  motion,  the  females  continually 
going  to  and  coming  from  the  water  and  new 
occupants  of  the  breeding  grounds  are  inces- 
santly arriving.'^  Under  these  circumstances  it 
is  clearly  evident  that  all  estimates  which  attempt 
to  fix  the  actual  number  of  seals  are  so  unreliable 
as  to  be  worthy  of  no  consideration  for  present 
or  future  calculations.' 

On  the  other  hand,  any  considerable  increase    Detonni nation 
or  decrease  in  the  seals  on  the  islands  can  at  ",eu"c'oT soX  *  * 

'  W.  B.  Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  176;  J.  »t.  Monlton,  Vol.  II  p.  71;  B. 
F.  Scribner,  Vol.  II,  p.  89;  H.  A.  01i.l«leii,  Vol.  II,  p.  110;  H.  H. 
Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  48;  H.  N.  Ulark,  Vol.  II,  p.  159;  Daniel 
Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  18.1. 

'\V.  B.  Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  176;  H.  A.  Glidtlen,  Vol.  II,  p.  110;     • 
Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  181. 

'W.  B.  Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  176;  J.  H.  MoiiUoii,  Vol.  II,  p.  71; 
B.  F.  Scribuer,  Vol.  II,  p.  89;  II.  A.  Gliddeu,  Vol.  il,  p.  110. 


94 


HABITS  OF   THE   ALA8KAN   SEAL. 


illll 


I)etBrminationonce  be  recognized  by  one   familiar  with  the 

of  increase  or  de- 

cieuae  of  seals,  rookerfes.  The  spaces  occupied  by  the  breeding 
seals  can  be  con-ectly  measured.*  If  there  has 
been  an  increase  in  the  number  of  seals,  the  areas 
formerly  occupied  will  be  filled  and  new  gi'ound 
covered,  for  the  seals  crowd  together  on  the 
breeding  grounds  as  closely  as  the  nature  of 
the  ground  will  permit.^  Therefore,  an  increase 
in  tlie  extent  covered  by  breeding  seals  is  an 
infallible  indication  of  an  increase  in  the  seal 
herd. 

THE   ALASKAN   SEAL   HERD. 

Distinction  be-     The  two  great  herds  of  fur  seals  which  frequent 

tween  AlaHkunniMl  ^ 

Riissiau  Leriu.  flie  Bering  Sea  and  North  Pacific  Ocean  and 
make  their  homes  on  the  Pribilof  Islands  and 
Commander  (Koraandorski)  Islands,  respec- 
tively, are  entirely  distinct  from  each  other. 
The  difference  between  the  two  herds  is  so 
marked  that  an  expert  in  handling  and  sorting 
seal  skins  can  invariably  distinguish  an  Alaskan 
skin  from  a  Commander  skin.*  Mr.  Walter  E. 
Martin,  head  of  the  London  firm  of  C.  W.  Martin 
&  Co.,  which  has  been  for  many  years  engaged 
in  di'essing  and  dyeing  seal  skins,  describes  the 

>  W.  B.  Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  177;  J.  H.  Moulton,  Vol.  II,  p.  71;  B. 
P.  Scribner,  Vol.  II,  p.  89. 

« J.  H.  Moulton,  Vol.  II,  p.  71;  Daniel  Webster,  VoL  II,  p.  181. 

»W.  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  .569;  C.  W.  Price,  Vol.  II,  p.  521; 
George  Bantle,  Vol.  II,  p.  508;  George  Rice,  Vol.  II,  p.  573;  Alfred 
Fraser,  Vol.  II,  p.  557. 


THE  ALASKAN   SEAL   HERD. 


95 


)1.  II,  p.  71;  B. 


difference  as  follows:  "The  Copper  Island  («»e^^^J;f5(\^*j«JJ^^^'jJ'j 
of  the  Commander  Islands)  skins  show  that  the  ""'"••" '"''•*''• 
animal  is  narrower  in  the  neck  and  at  the  tail 
than  the  Alaska  seal,  and  the  fur  is  shorter, 
particularly  under  the  flippers,  and  the  hair  has  a 
yellower  tinge  than  the  hairs  of  the  Alaska  seals." ^ 
In  this  statement  he  is  borne  out  by  Sueigeroff,  a 
native  chief  on  the  Commander  Islands  and  once 
resident  on  the  Pribilof  Islands.^  C.  W.  Price, 
for  twenty  years  a  dresser  and  examiner  of  raw 
seal  skins,  describes  the  difference  in  the  fur  as 
being  a  little  darker  in  the  Commander  skin.' 
Tlie  latter  skin  is  not  so  porous  as  the  Alaskan 
skin,  and  is  more  difficult  to  unhair.*  The  dif 
ference  between  the  two  classes  of  skins  has  been 
further  recognized  by  those  engaged  in  the  seal- 
skin industry  in  their  different  market  value,®  the 
Alaska  skins  always  being  neld  at  from  twenty 
to  thirty  per  cent  more  tluan  the  "Coppers"  or 
Commander  skins."  This  difference  in  value  has 
also  been  recognized  by  the  Russian  Go  venunent.' 

'  W.  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  569. 

»T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  201. 

'  C.  W.  Price,  Vol.  II,  p.  521 ;  George  Bantle,  Vol.  II,  p.  508. 

'  John  .1.  Phelan,  Vol.  II,  p.  520. 

"  C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  537;  W.  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  569; 
C.  W.  Price,  Vol.  II,  p.  521 ;  George  Hantle,  Vol.  II,  p.  508. 

« C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  537;  William  C.  B.  Stamp,  Vol.  II, 
p.  575. 

'  C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  537. 


96 


HABITS   OF  THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 


W^f 


M 


Dors  not  niingln 
withliuHHiuiiliei-4l. 


fl  ip|i* 


imt 


sr'^, 


k&x 


llffi,,  ,,;;:,;,: 


iij'!i«!||ti 


riioso  two  herdn  of  fur-seals  do  not  intermin- 
gle,* each  keeping-  to  its  own  side  of  Bering  Sea 
and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  each  following  its 
own  course  of  nn'gration.^  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  tlu^ 
well  known  authority  on  Pinnij)ed8,*  and  Curator 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
says:  "The  Commander  Islands  herd  is  evi- 
dently distinct  and  separate  from  the  Pribilot' 
Islands  herd.  To  suppose  that  the  two  herds 
mingle,  and  that  the  same  animals  may  at  one 
time  be  a  member  of  one  herd  and  at  another 
time  of  the  other,  is  contrary  to  what  is  known 
of  the  habits  of  migrating  animals  in  general." ' 
Capt.  Charles  J.  Hague,  who  since  1878  has 
made  about  twenty  voyages  along  the  Aleutian 
Islands  from  Unalaska  to  Attu,  mostly  in  the 
spring  and  fall  of  the  year,  states  that  he  does 
not  remember  ever  having  seen  fur- seals  in  the 
water  between  Four  Mountain  Islands  and  Attu 

'  Report  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  jio«(,  p.  323; 
J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.11,  p.  12;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4; 
C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II  p.  537;  Gnstave  Niebanm,  Vol.  II,  p.  78; 
Arthur  Newman,  Vol.  11,  p.  210;  C.  H.  Anderson,  Vol.  II,  p.  205. 

^  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  42;  C.  M.  Scammon,  Vol.  II,  p.  474; 
John  P.  Blair,  Vol.  II,  p.  194. 

"Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  406;  see  also  Report  of 
American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  |)o«<,  p.  323. 

*  Dr.  Allen,  at  the  retpiest  of  the  Dcp.artment  of  State,  has  pre- 
pared a  paper  im  Pinnipetlia,  Seal  Hunting  in  the  Antarctic  Re- 
gions, the  Alaska  Seal  Herd  and  Pelagic  Sealing,  which  will  he 
iimndiu  V<d.  I,  i)p.  365-410,  to  which  the  attention  ofthe  Tribunal 
of  Arbitration  is  esxieciuUy  directed. 


w^^< 


ifk:  ' 


THE    ALASKAN    8KAL   HKRD. 


07 


Island*     between  parallels  174°  west  and  175°    Pwh  not  iuiiiKi« 

witliKuMiuiilienl. 

cast  seals  are  seldom  seen,'  and  only  a  few  scat- 
t(  riu^  ones  are  seen  at  long  intervals  in  the 
iici^rhborhood  of  Attn  Island,  which  probably, 
tVniii  the  course  in  which  they  are  traveling,  are 
iiuinbei-s  of  the  Commander  herd."  Pud 
Zaotclinoi,  one  of  the  native  chiefs  of  the  Aleuts 
(»f  xVtka  Island,  says:  "The  fur-seal  is  only 
raroly  seen  about  this  region,  scattering  ones 
liiing  seen  occasionally  during  the  months  of 
September,  October,  and  November,  traveling 
fioiu  the  northward  to  the  southward  through 
the  passes  between  Atka  and  Andia  islands. 
Those  seen  are  always  gray  pups,  and  usually 
apjjcar  after  a  blow  from  the  northeast.  The 
most  I  ever  saw  in  any  one  year  was  about  a 
dozen  ...  I  have  never  seen  large  bulls  or 
full  grown  fur-seals  in  this  region.*  These  gray 
pups  are  the  young  born  that  season,  which 
having  left  the  islands  in  the  autumn  are  driven 
out  of  their  course  by  the  stonus,  being  unable 
to  battle  against  the  waves  as  the  older  seals  do. 
A  further  evidence  that  seals  do  not  frequent  the 
waters  between  the  parallels  of  longitude  men- 

'  Charles  J.  Hagiie,  Vol.  II.  p.  207. 

•  Arthur  Newman,  Vol.  II,  p.  210;  C.  II.  An(lerson,Vol.  II,  p.  205. 
'  Eliah  Prokopief,Vol.  II,  p.  215;  Filaret  Prokopief,Vol.  II,  p.  216; 

giiiniiel  Kahoorof,  Vol.  II,  p.  211. 

*  Vol.  II,  p.  213;  Kassiau  Gorloi,  Vol.  II,  p.  212. 

2716 13 


08 


HABITS  OF    niK   ALASKAN   8EAL. 


bT^I. 


M^' 


y^i«H'-:. 


*»  :;;i 

§<::, 


CIiiMHilicatioii. 


i»<M'»not  ini»>{i«<ti(nuMl  JH  tlio  fju't  tliJit  »(?aHn<f  v<'ss<*ls  nro  scMjuu 

Willi  KiiHMiitnlii'nl.  ^  ^ 

seen  in  those  rei^ious,  anil  never  remain  any 
len^h  of  time.' 

In  considering  the  hahits  of  the  Ahisknn  sciil 
the  herd  will  be  divided  into  four  classes,  basetl 
upon  ivfre  and  sex. 

Firet.  The  pups,  or  j)up  seals,  heinjjf  the  seals 
of  both  sexes  under  one  year  of  ajje. 

Second.  The  bulls,  or  '*  sekatchie,"  bein"^  the 
male  seals  from  six  or  seven  years  old  upwards, 
which  are  able  to  maintain  themselves  on  the 
breeding  groinids. 

Third.  The  cows,  or  "matkie,"  being  the  female 
seals  over  one  year  old. 

Fourth.  The  bo'lielore,  or  " holluschuckie," 
being  the  nonbrei  ng  male  seals,  their  age  rang- 
ing from  one  to  fivo  or  six  years. 

All  references  hereafter  made  to  seals,  nniess 
specifically  stated  to  the  contrary,  pertain  to  the 
Alaskan  fur-seal,  and  all  mention  ^f  rookeries 
refers  exclusively  to  those  located  on  St.  Paul 
and  St.  George  islands  of  the  Pribilof  group. 


Birth. 


THE   PUPS. 

The  pup  is   bom  on  the   breeding  grounds 
during  the  months  of  June  or  July.^    Its  birtli 

»  Eliah  Prokopief,  Vol.  II,  p.  215;  Kassiiin  Oorloi,  Vol.  II,  p.  212. 
«  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  61;  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  161. 


M< 


«!:»:■!:■;■  fiNi 


THE   PUPS.  99 

iisiiallv  orcurs  witliin  a  dnv  or  two  after  tl»o  Kirth. 
mother  seal  arrives  on  tlie  islaiulH,*  and  often 
witliin  a  few  lioin-.s.-  A  youiij;-  seal  at  birth 
\v(i;:lis  from  six  to  ei;^lit  poiu  Is,  its  head  being 
iildiornudlv  larife  for  the  size  of  its  body;"  it  is 
almost  blaek  in  color,  beinjf  covered  wilth  a  short 
hair,  which  chanj^^es  to  a  silver-gray  color  after 
the  pup  learns  to  swim.*  These  two  grades  of 
pups  are  (listinguished  by  the  names  "black 
pups'  and  "gray  pups."  This  coat  of  hair  is  its 
only  covering,  the  inider  coat  of  fur  not  being 
found  on  the  new-boni  seal.* 

For  the  first  six  or  eight  wee'^s  of  its  life  the^J.""'*'''*y  *«' 
pup  is  confined  entirely  to  the  bveeding  grounds, 
being  unable  to  swim."  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Morgan, 
for  nearly  twenty  years  located  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands  as  ime  of  the  agents  of  the  lessees,  states 
that  he  has  often  seen  young  pups  washed  off  by 
the  surf  and  drowned.'  Dr.  W.  L.  Hereford,  for 
many  years  resident  physician  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands,  relates  that  a  pup  being  found  which 

'  Cliailes  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4. 

•  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  4;  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  13. 
Aiifoii  Melovedoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  144 ;  .1.  C.  Redpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 

'  Daniol  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  180. 

*  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol,  II,  p.  164.  ,   , 
f  .1.  II.  Moulton,  Vol.  II,  p.  72. 

"  Anton  Melovedoft',  Vol.  II,  p.  144 ;  Aggie  Kusliin,  Vol.  II,  p.  129; 
Karp  lUiterin,  Vol.  II,  p.  104;  .John  Fratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108;  Article 
by  1  tr.  Allen,  Part  lII.Vol.  I,  p.  407 ;  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II.  p.  180. 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  61. 


hiiii;'! 


'V-''"W.T.\ 


|:  :-■:-,;'  m 


f'::'||3i:ili.;;:*i 


100 


HABITS  OF   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 


Bwim. 


Inability  to  had  lost  its  mother,  was  placed  near  the  water's 
edge  in  order  that  it  might  swim  to  an  adjoining 
rookery  and  perchance  find  its  parent.  "Da}- 
after  day"  he  continues,  "this  pup  was  wa  hed, 
but  it  would  not  go  near  the  water,  and  neither 
did  its  mother  return.  After  several  days  or  so, 
a  new  employe  of  that  season  only,  and  knowing 
nothing  whatever  of  fur-seal  life  and  habits, 
coming  along  that  way  and  finding  the  pup  in 
the  grass,  thinking  probably  that  he  had  gotten 
lost  from  the  other  side,  took  him  up  and  threw 
him  into  the  water,  with  a  view  of  giving  him  a 
chance  of  swimming  back  home.  It  was  mis- 
taken kindness,  however,  for  he  was  immediately 
drowned."^  Dr.  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  for  twenty 
years  on  the  islands  as  superintendent  of  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  and  who  has 
made  the  seal  habits  and  industry  a  life  study, 
states  "that  it  should  be  particularly  noted  that 
they  (the  pups)  are  not  amphibious  until  several 
weeks  old."  ^  Mr.  J.  H.  Moulton,  who  was  assist- 
ant Treasury  agent  on  the  islands  for  seven 
years,  states  that  he  "has  seen  pups  thrown  in 
the  water  when  their  heads  would  immediately 
go  under,    and   they  would  inevitably  drown. 


'  Vol.  II,  p.  34. 
•Vol.  II,  p.  41. 


K:»:i,:i, 


Wvm- 


'  ,[' 


THE    PUPS. 


101 


if  not  rescued."^    The  fact  that  they  are  unaWo    inni.Liitj    to 

Hwiin. 

to  swim  is  further  evidenced  by  their  manifest 
dread  of  the  water.  Mr.  J.  Stanley  Brown,  a 
scientist  detailed  by  the  United  States  Goveni- 
inent  to  investigate  seal  life  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands,  says:  "The  pups  are  afraid  of  the 
waters;  they  have  to  learn  to  swim  by  repeated 
eff(/rt,  and  even  when  able  to  maintain  themselves 
in  the  quiet  waters  will  rush  in  frantic  and  ludi- 
crous haste  away  from  an  approaching  wave."^ 
Capt.  Bryant,  Treasury  agent  in  charge  of  the 
Pribilof  Islands  from  ISGO  to  1877,  and  who 
previous  to  that  li«d  been  a  whaHng  captain  in 
Bering  Sea,  says:  "Tliey  run  back  ten'ified 
wlienever  a  wave  comes  in."^  He  is  supported 
in  this  statement  by  Mr.  Samuel  Falconer,*  Gen. 
Scribner,^  and  Mr.  Wardman,  who  have  been 
Treasury  agents  on  the  Pribilof  Islands,  the 
latter  adding  that  "young  pups  can  not  be 
driven  into  the  water  by  man,  and  when  I  tried 
to  drive  them  in  before  they  had  learned  to 
swim,  they  would  innnediately  run  back  from 
the  water.' 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  72. 
«  Vol.  II,  p.  16. 
»  Vol.  II,  p.  .5. 
«  Vol.  II,  p.  164. 
»  Vol.  II,  p.  89. 
•Vol.U,  p.  178. 


^4 


ifci 


Hi 


if%f\ 


ill. 


102 


Aqiutfic   birth 
iiii2)<Maiblo. 


HABITS   OF   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 

Ill  view  of  tlie  f<iivgoiiig  circumstances,  it  is 
clear  that  it  is  an  impossibility  for  a  pup  seal  to 
be  born  in  the  water  and  live;  this  is  confirmed 
by  the  statements  of  all  those  who  have  studied 
into  or  had  experience  with  seal  life;^  and  is 
well  known  to  be  a  peculiarity  of  all  Pinnipedia." 
Prof  W.  H.  Dall,  a  recognized  authority  on  all 
Alaskan  matters,  states  that  a  pup  born  under 
such  circumstances  would  unquestionably  perish, 
and  further  adds  that  "when  it  is  the  habit  of  an 
animal  to  give  birth  to  its  young  upon  the  land, 
it  is  contrary  to  biological  teaching  and  common 
sense  to  suppose  that  they  could  successfully  bring 
them  forth  in  the  water."'  Mr.  Stanley  Brown, 
in  considering  this  question,  says :  "Were not  the 
seals  in  their  organs  of  reproduction,  as  well  as 
in  all  the  incidents  of  procreation,  essentially  land 
animals,  the  fact  that  the  placenta  remains  attach- 
ed to  the  pup  by  the  umbilical  cord  for  twenty- 
four  hours  or  even  more  after  birth,  would  show 
the  impossibility  of  aquatic  birth.  I  have  seen 
pups  dragging  the  caul  over  the  ground  on  the 
third  day  after  birth.     Even  could  the  pup  stand 

'T.  v.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5; 
Kerrick  Artomanoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

*"  Appendix  C,  Report  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commi88ionurH, 
post,  p.  327. 

'Vol.  II,  p.2a 


k 


THE    PUPS. 


103 


t,  Vol.  II,  p.  5; 


Commi)isioDcra, 


the  buffetiiiff  of  the  waves  it  could  not  aui-i'ive    Aquatic  inriii 

iiupoMsiblc. 

sucli  an  anchor.  No  pup  could  be  bom  in  the 
water  and  live."*  To  these  unqualified  state- 
ments of  experts  and  scientists  are  added  those 
of  a  large  number  of  Indians  and  seal  hunters 
jiIoDjr  the  American  coast,  and  an  instance  which 
took  place  during  the  Russian  occupation  puts 
the  impossibility  of  pelagic  biitli  beyond  ques- 
tion. The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter 
dated  June  20,  1859,  by  the  manager  of  St. 
Paul  Island  addressed  to  the  chief  irianager,  and 
inclosed  in  a  letter  dated  May  13,  1860,  from 
Capt.  Ivan  Vassilievitch  Furuhelm  to  the  board 
of  administration  of  the  Russian  American 
Company: 

"The  female  seals  came  this  year  in  May  at 
the  usual  time  after  the  'sekatches'  had  landed. 
Only  a  few  had  come  ashore  when,  with  a  strong 
northwest  wind,  the  ice  came  from  tlie  north.  It 
closed  around  the  islands  and  was  kept  there  by 
the  wind  for  thirteen  days.  The  ice  was  much 
broken  and  was  kept  in  motion  by  the  sea. 

"It  is  an  actual  fact,  most  gracious  sir,  that  the 
females  could  not  reach  the  shore  through  the  ice. 
Some  of  the  Aleuts  went  out  as  far  as  it  was  safe 
to  go  on  the  larger  pieces  of  ice  and  they  saw 
the  water  full   of  seals.    When  the  northwest 


'  Vol.  II,  p.  15;  Article  by  Dr.  AUim,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  406. 


104 


HABITS   OF   THE    ALASKAN   SEAL. 


pami;;: 


m 


W  .    tlfli 


iiiii 


Birth    on    kelp 
bi5(lt»  impossible. 


gale  ceased  the  ice  remained  for  nearly  a  week 
long-er,  being  ground  up  in  the  heavy  swell  and 
no  females  could  land.  A  few  'sekatches'  tiied 
to  go  out  to  sea  but  did  not  succeed.  On  the 
10th  of  June  the  first  females  began  to  land,  but 
they  came  slowly,  and  it  was  very  late  when 
the  rookeries  began  to  fill.  Very  few  of  the 
females,  no  more  than  one  out  of  twenty  or 
twenty-five,  had  their  young  after  they  came 
ashore.  Nearly  all  nmst  have  lost  them  in  the 
water,  as  for  many  weeks  since  the  ice  went 
away  the  bodies  of  young  seals  have  been  washed 
up  by  the  sea  in  thousands.  This  misfortune  I 
must  humbly  report  to  you.  It  was  not  the  work 
of  man  but  of  God."^ 

These  statements  also  apply  to  birth  on  beds 
of  kelp,  or  seaweed,  for  a  new-born  pup  would 
undoubtedly  be  washed  from  such  a  restmg  place 
and  perish.  Andrew  Laing,  a  seal  hunter  of  long 
experience,  who  was  examined  by  Mr.  A.  R. 
Milne,  collector  of  the  port  of  Victoria,  British 
Columbia,  states  on  such  examination:  "I  have 
heard  a  great  deal  of  talk  of  females  having  young 
on  the  kelp,  too,  but  I  don't  think  that  it  is  so. 
Some  hunters  report  of  seeing  pups  off  Middle- 
tons  Island,  but  I  think  that  it  is  impossible." 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  86. 


ffe*i 


THE  purs. 


105 


irly  a  week 
y  swell  aiul 
tches'  tiiecl 
3d.  On  the 
to  land,  but 

late  when 

few  of  the 

'  twenty  or 

tliey  came 
them  m  the 
le  ice  went 
been  washed 
misfoi'tune  I 
not  the  work 

irth  on  beds 
1  pup  would 
resting  place 
[inter  of  long 
y  Mr.  A.  R. 
toria,  British 
on:  "I  have 
aving  young 
that  it  is  so. 
s  off  Middle- 
impossible." 


I  [('  further  stated  that  he  did  not  think  they  could    Birth   on  k«ip 

beds  iiu]io88il>le. 

live  continually  in  the  water  if  born  hi  it.* 

When  the  pups  are  from  four  to  six  weeks  old  i'""^d'"S- 
tlu'V  gather  togetlier  on  the  breeding  grounds 
into  groups  called  "pods."^  This  act  is  called 
"podding."  The  "pods"  by  degrees  work  their 
WAV  down  to  the  water's  edge  and  tlie  pups  begin 
to  make  use  of  their  flippers.'  Prior  to  tliis  tin\o 
till'  tlippers  have  been  used  entirely  for  locomo- 
tion on  land. 
The  iiun's  maimer  of  locomotion   has   been.  i'"''on-.o'.ion   on 

'     *  laud. 

variously  described  as  being  similar  to  that  of 
the  pup  of  a  Newfoundland  dog*  or  of  a  young 
kitten.'  The  difference  between  the  modes  of 
loooniotion  of  the  ])up  and  of  the  older  seals  is 
wt'll  stated  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Moulton.  He  says 
"tliat  it  (the  pup)  uses  its  hind  flippers  as  feet, 
running  on  them  in  much  the  same  manner  as 
otiier  land  animals,  while  a  seal  that  has  learned 
to  swim  drags  his  liind  flippers,  using  his  front 
flippers  to  pull  himself  along!' 

'  ISritish  Blue  Book,  IT.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  C-6635,p.  184. 

•'  IxV'port  of  Aiuericau  Bering  Sea  ComniiMBioners,  pout,  p.  327; 
.1.  Stanhy  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  41; 
I  h.irl.s  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5;  H.  W.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  136; 
J.  C.  Hi'dpatli,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 

'  .1.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II, 
p.  11;  L'liarles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5. 

<  .I.Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  15. 

'  Sannu'l  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p   164. 

•■  Vol.  II,  p.  72. 

2716 U 


IfTT 


106 


HABITS   OF   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 


Learning    to     There  are  two  metliods  by  which  a  pun  learns 

awim. 

to  swim.  One  is  by  a  **j)0(l"  of  pups  frettiuij 
near  the  edge  of  tlie  water  and  finally,  after 
repeated  efforts,  acquiring  the  use  of  their 
flippers.'  Andrew  Laing,  already  mentioned  tis 
one  of  the  seal  hunters  lately  examined  by 
Collector  Milne,  of  the  port  of  Victoria,  British 
Columbia,  says:  "They  (the  pups)  will  never 
take  to  the  water  freely  themselves  for  from  six 
weeks  to  two  months."^  The  other  method  is 
by  the  mother  seal  taking  the  pup  in  her  mouth 
and  carrying  it  into  the  water,  where,  aft<'r 
several  trials,  it  becomes  able  to  sustain  itself, ' 
Dnparturo  from     After  learning  to  swim  the  pup  si)ends  its  time 

islaiuls.  *'  III 

on  land  and  in  the  water,  but  the  greater  portion 
is  passed  on  land,*  until  its  final  departure,  which 
takes  place  generally  about  the  middle  of  Novem- 
ber,® but  the  time  depends  a  great  deal  upon  tlie 
weather.® 
Doppndenco     Durfug  the  entire  time  the  pups  remain  upon 

upon  its  mother.       ,       .  ,        ,       ,  i  ,  i    ,  ,     . 

the  islands  they  are  dependent  solely  upon  then- 

iH.  H.  Mrlntyre,  VoL  II,  p.  41;  J.  Stanley  Brown, Vol.  II,  p.  Ki; 
T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62. 

'British  Blue  Book,  V.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  C-663.5,  p.   184. 

sSamnel Falconer, Vol.11,  pp.  164-ia5 ; Charles  Bryant, Vol.11,  j..."). 

^CharlcH  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5;  H.  H.  Mclntyrc,  Vol.  11,  p.  K; 
T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62;  Anton  Melovedotf.  Vol.  II,  p.  114; 
Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  v.  180. 

"H.  H.  Melntyre,  Vol.  II.  p.  41;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  l; 
Aggie  Knshiii,  Vol.  II,  p.  130;  C.  L.  Fowler,  Vol.  11,  p.  2.5. 

«H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  41;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  \k  5; 
Anton  Mclovedoft',  Vol.  II,  pp.  144-145;  John  Fratis,  \'ol.  II,  p.  108 


THE   BULLS. 


107 


I  a  pnp  learns 
pups  j^ettiiiLT 
finally,   after 
use   of    tlu'ir 
mentioned  as 
examined   by 
ctoria,  British 
ps)  will  never 
3s  for  from  six 
lier  method  is 
p  in  her  mouth 
•,   where,   after 
ustain  itself.^ 
spends  its  time 
<rreater  portion 
eparture,  which 
iddle  of  Noveiu- 
,t  deal  upon  the 

[ps  remain  upon 
>lely  upon  their 

[bvowiIjVoI.  II,  p.  iij;  I 

■■-I 

P635,  p.  m.  I 

(.s  Bryant,  Vol. II,  !.:>.  | 

^ntyro,  Vol.  II,  l».  t'l  1 

Uoff.  Vol.11,  p.  Ill;         I 

lliryant,  Vol.  II,  !•■  ^;         ;f 

Vol.  n,  p.  2i'>- 

iBiyaut,  Vol.  II,  p.  •'): 
iFiiitis,  Vol.11,  p.  1"« 


motliers  for  sustenance.^    Prof.  Dall  says  that  the    ^  <'.i'  •" " '' '  '   •' 

•^  UpoU  Its  IlKil.;    1. 

"j)nps  require  the  nourishment  of  theirmothers  for 
at  least  three  to  four  montlis  after  birth,  and  would 
perish  if  deprived  of  the  same."'  Others  fix  the 
j)eri()d  of  weaning  at  at  least  four  months."  Others 
sa\  tliat  the  female  seal  suckles  her  young-  as  long 
its  it  remains  on  the  islands.*  All  agree  that  with- 
out tliis  nourishment  the  i)up  would  starve  to 
(U'ath,  and  Dr.  Hereford  gives  an  account  of  eu- 
(leavoring  to  raise  a  motherless  pup  by  hand, 
which  resulted  in  its  death.' 

In  spite  of  the  fact  of  its  complete  dependence    vitality, 
upon  its  mother,  a  pup  qiva  exist  several  days  with- 
out food,®  and  demonstrates  the  wonderful  vitality 
of  the  species. 

THE    BULLS. 

The  bulls  are  the  male  seals  from  five  or  six 
to  twenty  years  of  age,^  and  weigh  from  four  to 
seven  hundred  pounds.^ 

i.r.  C.  Kedpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 

•  Vol.  II,  p.  23. 

'  .1.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  .7.  H.  Monlton,  Vol.  II,  p.  72. 

*  SiiiiuKd  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  165;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5. 
5  Vol.  II,  p.  33. 

'  W.  S.  Hereford,  Vol.  II,  p.  33;  Nieoli  Krukott',  Vol.  II,  p.  133; 
Kiirick  Artoniauoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

■  II.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  43;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

"  Keport  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners, /)08f,  p.  325; 
Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  166;  H.  H.  Mclutyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  58. 


'*^K!' 


;.i!ftS|'! 


Wip'i 


If''' 

m-  ,:  - 

M/-;'        ■■.': 

108 


HABITS  OF   THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 


Arrival  at  islands.  Tliey  arrive  Oil  the  breeding  gi'ounds  in  tlie 
latter  part  of  April  or  first  few  days  of  May/  but 
the  time  is  to  a  certain  extent  dependent  on  tlu* 
going  out  of  the  ice  about  the  islands.-  The  bull, 
if  it  is  not  his  first  experience  upon  the  breeding 
grounds,  endeavors  to  land  upon  the  same  rook- 
ery which  he  occupied  in  former  years,^  and  in 
many  cases  the  same  bull  has  been  observed  to 
occupy  the  same  position  (generally  a  large  rock') 
on  the  same  rookery  for  several  successive  years.^ 
A  position,  however,  is  not  obtained  without 
many  sanguinary  battles  between  the  rival  bulls 
for  the  more  coveted  places  near  the  water.* 
Arrival  of  the  Toward  the  latter  part  of  May  or  first  of  June 
the  cows  begin  to  appear  in  the  waters  adjacent 
to  the  islands  and  immediately  land  upon  the 
breeding  grounds.*   The  great  majority,  however, 

■  Appendix  B,  Report  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners, 
post,  p.  385;  .T.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  13;  Nicoli  Krukoif,  Vol. 
II,  p.  133;  John  Fratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108;  J.  C.  Redpatli,  Vol.  II,  p. 
148;  C.  L.  Fowler,  Vol.  II,  p.  25. 

■'  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  180. 

°  Report  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  post,  p.  325. 

<  J.  C.  Redpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 

'  Report  of  American  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  post,  p.  325; 
II.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  43. 

"Anton  MelovedoflF,  Vol.  II,  p.  144;  Aggie  Knshin,  Vol.  II,  p.  129; 
Nicoli  Krukoflf,  Vol.  II,  p.  133;  John  rratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108;  C.  L. 
Fowler,  Vol.  U,  p.  25. 


cows. 


THE  BULLS. 


109 


indH  in  the 
>f  May/  but 
lent  on  tlu' 
'  The  bull, 
he  breeding- 
same  rook- 
(ars,^  and  in 
abserved  to 
large  rock') 
(ssive  years.^ 
led  without 
e  rival  bulls 
water."* 
first  of  June 
ers  adjacent 
id  upon  the 
fcy,  however, 

Coniniissiimers, 
oli  Krukoft;  Vol. 
Ipatli,  Vol.  II,  p. 

n,  post,  p.  325. 

ers,  post,  p.  325; 

i,Vol.  II,  p.  129; 
II,  p.  108;  C.  L. 


do  not  haul  up  until  the  latter  part  of  June;*^  and    Anirti  of  the 

co\v». 

the  arrivals  continue  until  the  middle  of  July." 

Each  bull,  being  polygamous,  gathers  about  Or>;imi/iiti(iii  of 
him  as  many  cows  as  he  can.^  The  number  of 
cows  to  a  "harem"  (as  the  bull  and  his  cows  are 
called)  varies  according  to  the  strength  and 
position  of  the  bull  and  the  respective  number 
of  the  sexes  in  the  herd.  The  average  is  fixed 
at  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five.*  Assistant  Treasury 
Ajj^ent  W.  B.  Taylor,  who  was  on  St.  George 
Island  in  the  year  1881,  reports  that  he  has 
seen  forty  cows  in  one  harem  and  that  the  bull 
was  constantly  trying  to  obtain  more.' 

This  is  but  one  instance  of  the  great  powers  iitatiou""  "'^' 
of  fertilissation  possessed  by  the  male  seal.  Mr. 
Taylor  further  states  that  he  believes  a  bull  can 
serve  over  a  hundred  cows  during  a  season;* 
Capt.  Bryant  sa}'s  from  seventy-five  to  one  hun- 
dred ;"  and  Gen.  Scribner  affirms  it  as  his  opinion 
that  a  bull  could  fertilize  a  hundred  or  more 
cows;^  and  he  is  supported  in  this  by  Capt. 
Daniel  Webster,  who,  as  agent  of  the  lessees,  has 

I  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  13. 

^  Anton  Melovedott",  Vol.  II,  p.  114. 

'  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  14;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  63. 

^  .1.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  14 ;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

» Vol.  II,  p.  177. 

"Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

'Vol.n,p.89. 


I?!' 


110 


IIAIUT.S   OF   THE    ALASKAN    SEAL. 


1.4  ' , 

^Pj   n.-'i. 


i|i'':  4 


>mf\ 


;,>i;'; 


j^JJ^^*J" ■*"'■'■"' 'I- ivsidcMl  on  tlju  islands  for  over  twenty-two  years, 
and  who  prior  to  tliat  time  liad  been  actively 
en<»a<>ed  in  the  sealin<>'  in<Uistry.'  Dr.  Allen 
thinks  a  bull  is  able  to  serve  from  forty  to  sixty 
cows.-  Mr.  Samuel  Falconer  states  that  a  bull  is 
capable  of  fertilizings  at  first  six  to  eight  cows  a 
day.=* 

The    act  of  coition   takes  place  upon   land, 
Coitiou.  which,  by  reason  of  the  formation  of  the  genital 

or<>ans,  is  similar  to  that  of  other  mammals.*  It 
is  violent  in  character,  and  consumes  from  five 
to  ei<^ht  nunutes.'"  Co))ulation  in  the  water  is 
affirmed  by  Mr.  Stanley  Brown,  Dr.  Mclntyre, 
and  others  to  be  impossible."  The  former  bases 
his  opinion  on  careful  observation  and  on  the 
fact  that  the  cow  being-  so  much  smaller  than  the 
male  (a  cow  weighs  from  seventy-five  to  one 
lunuh'ed  and  twenty  pounds)  she  would  be 
entirely  submerged  and  wouhl  be  compelled  to 
remain  beneath  the  surface  longer  than  would 
be  possible.  Dr.  Mclntyre  makes  the  assertion 
on  twenty  years  of  careful  study  of  seal  life 

'  Vol.  IL  p.  183.  "~ 

'Aititle  by  Dr.  AUen,  Piirt  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  407. 

=  Vol.  II,  p.  166. 

^Ki'port  of  American  Bcrinj;  Sea  Commissioners, /)08(,  p.  327; 
J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  14. 

"Report  ol'  Aniericau  Uorinj.?  Sea  ConimiH.sioi)er8,  j^owt.  ji.  325; 
J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  14. 

•Vol.  II,  p.  14;  Vol.  II,  p.  42;  .J.M.Morton,  VoLII,  p.  67. 


T11K    niLLS. 

uiMlcr  tlio  most  favorable  cirriimstances.  Vn-  Coition. 
(l(tul)tc'(lly  tlu'  sea  otter,  wliose  lial)it  of  |>ela«»ie 
coition  is  well  known,  lias  often  been  mistaken 
for  the  fnr-seal,  whieli  lias  resnlted  in  many 
iM'lievin"-  that  the  latter  eopnlate  in  the  water.* 
Mr.  Falconer,  althou<»h  he  does  not  affirm  that 
the  act  of  reproduction  is  impossible  in  the  water, 
states  that  he  does  not  believe  it  could  be  eft'ect- 
ujd,  and  that  it  would  be  most  unnatural.^  Dr. 
Allen,  in  considerintr  this  cpiestion,  after  jJi'iving 
an  account  of  the  jealous  o-uardianship  of  tho 
hull  over  his  harem,  says:  "If  parturition  and 
copulation  could  occur  in  the  sea,  the  exercise  of 
any  such  tyrannical  jurisdiction  of  the  males 
over  the  females  would  be  impossible,  and  the 
seraf,dio  system,  so  well  established,  not  only  in 
the  case  of  this  species,  but  in  all  its  allies, 
would  not  be  the  one  strikinjr  feature  in  the 
sexual  economy  of  the  whole  eared-seal  family, 
wherever  its  representatives  are  found."' 

During  the  entire  rutting  season,  wdiich  lasts  for    Fnsting. 
jit  least  three  months,  the  bulls  remain  constantly 
upon  the  breeding  grounds,  never  leaving  their 
l)ositions,  and   never   eating  or   drinking,    and 
sleeping  very  little.* 

I  Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  HI,  Vol.  I,  p.  407;  J.  Stanley  Brown, 
Vol.  II,  p.  15. 
-  Vol.  II,  p.  165. 

^  Artick"  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  407. 
♦  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  63;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 


Ill 


'.'0'^'mi^'' 

^r'-*-"*^ 

nm 


'5>* 


m 


m 


112 


HAIUTS   OF   TIIK    ALASKAN    SKAIi. 


orVi.rrookSH.''"  ^^'^^^  ^^^  *''^'  ^'•*^^''*  '"^^'^  '•♦'<'"  f^'i'^il'zed  and 
the  pupH  be}»lii  to  torin  into  "jxxIh,"  the  order 
formerly  existin{>'  on  the  breedinj^  gronnds  i^ives 
phice  to  disorder.  The  bnlls  no  lonj^er  restrain 
the  cows  in  tlieir  movements,  and  the  rookeries 
become  disorganized.' 

Some  of  the  l)nlls  at  tliis  time  ("abont  the  1st  of 
D.imituio  from  Anifust) be^fin  to  h*ave  the  ishmds,  and  eontinne 

iHlamlM.  ft        /        o  » 

going  till  the  early  part  of  October."^  'Hiey 
are  very  lean  and  lank  after  their  long  fast,  bnt 
the  following  May  return  to  the  rookeries  as 
thickly  enveloped  in  bluV)ber  and  as  vigorous  as 
the  former  season.'' 
Vitality.  The  bull  seal  must  necessarily  possess  almost 

unsurpassed  powers  of  vitalit}'  and  virility  to 
remain  for  such  a  period  without  nourishment  of 
any  sort,  and  still  be  able  to  fertilize  so  many 
females. 


w»5;i;,|,,  .1/. 


THE  cows. 


The  cows  or  breeding  female  seals  are  much 
smaller  than  the  bulls,  the  average  weight  being 

«  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  63; 
AKsic  Knshin,  Vol.  II,  p.  130;  .lolin  Fnitis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108. 

-  if.H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  42;  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p  166; 
AiiCo'    Melovedoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  144;  Aggii*  Kii«liin,  Vol.  II,  p.  129. 

'  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  63;  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  43;  J. 
(     Rodpnth,  Vol.  II,  p.  148. 


Ei'";'  ■    ■■'■'■  Hi 


TMK    COWS. 


113 


rer  n'straiii 


less  tluiii  «me  liumlrcd  pouiuls;  tlio  age  of 
|)iiln'rty  1h  proluthly  two  years.' 

riu'  cxai'i  Hjf<  wliich  is  ivaclicd  hy  a  cow  is  Age. 
necessarily  a  matter  of  conjecture,  hut  niicro- 
scopic  examinations  under  the  direction  of  ('apt. 
Mr\aMt  showed  tiiat  some  of  tiie  (dder  females 
liiid  horne  at  hmst  ehnen  to  thirteen  pups.-  It 
is  therefore  safe  to  say  tliat  u  cow  lives  to  be  at 
least  fifteen  years  «dd. 

After  a  (tow  lands  on  the  rookeries  and  is  "arem  life. 
(leliviTcd  of  her  pup  she  is  jealously  o-uarded  by 
tile  bull  to  whose  harem  .she  l»elon«rs,  until 
i\(i;;\'\u  fertili/.ed,^  wliich  probably  takes  place 
witliin  two  weeks.*  IMie  exa('t  period  of  j^esta 
tiuii  is  not  definitely  known,  but  is  believed  to 
he  iil>out  tifty  weeks.* 

A  cow  produces  but  one  jnip  at  a  birth,"  and    Nnmii-r  of  pnps 

....  "t  "  Itii'tli. 

.Mr.  balconer  adds  that  "two  at  a  bn-th  is  as 
rare  an  occurrence  as  a  cow  to  bring-  forth  two 
calves,  and  that  durinjif  his  entire  experience  of 
seven  years  he   never  heanl  of  this  happening- 

'  II.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  \i.  42;  Saiimel  I'jilconer,  V(»I.  II,  p.  1G5. 
•  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

M.  Stiiuley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  |».  1.5. 
'  Siiimiel  Falc()ii(-r,  Vol.  II,  p.  ltv>. 

■'  Kfpoi't  of  Anierli'iiii  Beriiiij;  .St-a  t'oininissioncr.s,  iiosi,  p.  .326. 
W.  II.  ball,  Vol.  II.  p.  21;   F    F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II.  p.  (i;f;  II.  W. 
.M.  im.vre.  Vol.  II,  p.  136;  Keiiick  Aitomanoir,  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 
271(j 15 


1  Im  iSdiSl 


■'"^jI '■■■■- ;m    ■  M 


I    ■■  .  'M  iS 


"^.'^ 

Mr 'I 


•Hi' 


.ft  its 


lift..:, 


■  J.ti 


114 


IIAniTS   OF   THE    ALASKAN   SEAL. 


Nniiibt'i orpiivalnit    oiicG.'     Tlio    yoiuiff    at    birth    are    about 

at  a  birth.  _  ^  o 

equally  divided  as  to  sex.^ 

A  cow  as  soon  as  a  pup  is  brought  tortli 
bej^ius  to  give  it  nourishment,^  the  act  of  nurs- 
ing taking  place  on  land  and  never  in  water,' 
and  she  will  only  suckle  her  own  oflFspriiig- 
This  fact  is  verified  by  all  those  who  lifivc 
studied  seal  life  or  had  experience  upon  the 
islands.^  Mr.  Morgan  says:  "The  pup  does  not 
appear  to  recognize  its  mother,  attemj)tiiig  to 
draw  milk  from  any  cow  it  comes  in  contact 
with;  but  a  mother  will  at  once  recognize  her 
own  ])U})  and  will  allow  no  other  to  muse  her. 
This  I  know  from  often  observing  a  cow  light 
off  other  pups  who  approached  her,  and  searcli 
out  her  own  pup  from  among  them,  wliich  I 
think  she  recognizes  by  its  smell  and  cry."*  ]\Ir. 
Falconer  says:  "A  mother  will  at  once  recognize 
her  pup  by  its  cry,  hobbling  over  a  thousand 
s  oniv^'^^'^^^^r^  pu})s  to  reach  her  own,  and  every  otlic  r 
a})proacliing  her  save  this  little  animal  she  will 


Koniislio 
Lur  owu  i)U]t. 


'  Vol.  II,  p.  165. 

**  Report  of  Aniericaii  Boring  Sea  Coiniiiissioncrs,  post,  p.  32fi. 

•'J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  15. 

■•  Report  ol"  .Anit-rican  liering  Sea  Commissioners,  imiit,  p.  WM. 
Sec  also  Api)tMiilix  C  of  same,  iiosi,  )>.  387. 

'•W.  il.  Dall,  Vol.  II,  p.  23;  H.  H.  Mclutyre,  Vol.  II,  p.41;  Karp 
Biitt'rin,  Vol.  II,  p.  UU. 

»  Vol.  11,  p.  62. 


THE    COWS. 


115 


are    about 

oug-lit  tortli 
net  of  iim-s- 
31"  iu  water,' 
n  oflPspriii<i-  - 
1  who  have 
e  upon  the 
)up  does  not 
:tern])tiiij;;'  to 
i  in  contact 
3co^nize  lier 

0  niu'se  her. 

a  cow  lij>lit 

,  and  searcli 

em,  wliich  I 

1  cry.""     Mr. 
ice  recof^-nize 

a  thousand 

every  other 

nifxl  she  will 

rs,  post,  p.  32(5. 
lers,  poHt,  i>.  Iii'li. 
)1.  II,  p.  41;  Kuril 


-.- 


■    -'i 


'     >l 


drive  away."'     These  facts  are  verified  l)y  many    NomiNbes  only 

t)tliers  experienced  in  the  iuibits  of  seals.^ 

This  habit  of  a  cow  is  another  evidence  of  the    neath  of  tow 

t'iiii8f!5  iii-iit ii  <<r 

iihsolute  dependence  of  a  pup  seal  upon  itsP"i>- 
mother.  Capt,  Bryant  says  in  this  connection: 
"1  am  j)ositive  that  if  a  mother  seal  was  killed 
her  -mp  must  inevitably  perish  by  starvation. 
As  evidence  of  this  fact  I  will  state  that  1  have 
taken  stray,  motherless  pups,  found  on  the  sand 
Ixiuhes,  and  placed  them  upon  the  breeding 
rookeries  beside  milking"  females,  and  in  all 
instances  those  jnips  have  finally  died  of 
starvation.'"  Capt.  Bryant's  .statement  as  to  the 
certainty  of  death  to  the  pup  if  its  mother  was 
(h'stroyed  is  sustained  by  many  experienced 
witnesses.* 

Necessarily  after  a  few  days  of  nursing  her 
pup  the  cow  is  comj)elled  to  seek  food  in  order  to 
provide  sufficient  nourishment  for  her  off'spi"iii<>'.''    Ftoding. 
Soon  after  coition  she  leaves   the  ])up  on   the 
rookery   and    goes   into   the    sea,"   and   as   the 

'Vol.  II,  p.  1P)4. 

-.)    M.  Moulton,  Vol.  II,  p.  71,  W.  8    Ih-iefoid,  NOl.  II,  p.  :«; 
Ni<(>li  KnikoH',  Vol.  II.  p.  ISS;  .John  liiitis.  Vol.  II,  p.  KIS;  liaiiiel 
\V(-l.hf.r,  Vol.  II,  p.  180;  J.  C.  Ke<lpiilli,  \'ol,  II,  p.  1 IH. 
Vol.  II,  p.  ,j. 

'W.  II.  Dull,  Vol.  II,  p.  2H;  (St-oiKe  Wiiidmiiii,  Vol.  II,  p.  17«. 

'.l.Stiiiilt'.v  Unnvn,  Vol.  II.  p.  !.">;  D.iiiiil  Wtlisfcr.  Vol.  II,  p.  ISO. 

'  Ht'lioi't  of  AiiH'ilcaii  Ht'riii);  Sea  (  oimiii^.sioiier.s,  /)»«/.  p.  ;t'!t; 
II.  II.  Miliitjif,  Vol.  II,  p.  42;  Sainucl  lakouir.  Vol.  II,  p.  Kit!; 
.\rti(l(!  by  Dr.  .\ll.-ii,  I'art  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  407;  II.  W.  .NicliKviv, 
Vol.  II,  p.  13«. 


IK 


W' 


>■^:J,^.;  fJI^ 


HIUUS. 


IIG  HABITS   OF   THE   ALASKAN    SEAL. 

I'etding.  puj)  gets   olflei'   aiicl  stronger   these  excursions 

lengthen  accordingly  until  she  is  sometimes  ab- 
sent from  the  rookeries  for  a  week  at  a  time.^ 

Food.  The  food  of  all  classes  of  fur  seals  consists  of 

squids,  fishes,  crustaceans,  and  molhisks,^  but 
squids  seem  t(^>  be  their  ju'incipal  diet,  showing 
the  seals  are  surface  feeders.^  On  account  of  the 
number  of  seals  on  the  islands  fish  are  ver}- 
scarce  in  the  neighlxn-ing  waters  ;*  this  necessi- 
tates the  c()W  going  many  miles  in  search  ol 
her  food. 

Ft'ciiiiig  exiur-  They  undoubtedly  go  oftei!  ^Vi.;v!  ;i',  hundred 
to  two  hundred  miles  from  the  rookeries  on  these 
feeding  excursions.^  '^lliis  fact  is  borne  out  by 
the  testimony  of  many  experienced  sealers,  who 
have  taken  nursing  females  a  hundred  miles  and 
over  from  the  islands,^  and  Capt.  Olsen,  of  the 
steam  schooner  J  una  Birh;  states,  through  tlie 
Victoria     Daily    Colonist,    of    August   6,    1887 

I  Nicoli  Knikort,  Vol.  II.  p.  i:«;.Joliii  Frsitis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108;  Kur- 
ritk  .\itoiii)inoH',  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

-Report  ol'  Anu'i'icini  liiTiiiji;  Se.i  (.'oiiiniiHsioiK'rH,  Aj)]>eii'';..  K, 
post,  p.  393;  VV.  H.  Uull,  \  ol.  II,  p.  23;  T.  F.  Moij'ai<  '  ol.  1'. 
p.  62. 

■'lieport  of  Aniericim  Bering  >Sea  Couiniissioners,  Ajii;:;tiiii\  li, 
post,  J).  3!M>. 

<S.  N.  Biiyiiitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  21. 

'l{<'I)ort  of  AiiuM'iriiii  H'riiig  Sea  ('oiiiiniNsioiierH,  poxt,  p.  3:29. 

"Miiliiiel  Wliire,  Vol.  11,  p.  l!Ml;  AUVe<l  Irving,  Vol.  II,  p.  3«ti; 
Jiiuiex  Sloan,  Vol.  II,  p.  177;  Msirtin  llanuon,  Vol.  II,  p.  415;  C'liail 
George,  Vol.  II,  )i.  3t;();  W  ilton  C.  Bennett,  Vol.  II,  p.  357;  Vie- 
tor  .lackolison,  \'ol.  11,  p.  328. 


THE   COWS. 


117 


e  excursions 
nuetinies  ab- 
ut a  time.^ 
lis  consists  of 
oUusks,''  but 
lift,  showiny' 
icco-.tUtof  the 
isli  are  very 
'  this  necessi- 
in  search  ot 

u*v,  hundred 
L*ries  on  tliese 
borne  out  bv 
[  sealers,  who 
red  miles  and 
Olsen,  of  the 
throug-h  the 
ust    G,    1887 


Bioim. 


ol.lI,i>.  108;  Kel- 
lers, A))iieii'';..  H, 
Moi'jtuii    'ill.   «■ . 

1'1'8,    Ajij;!!llliix     li, 


TH,  post,  ]t.  3:29. 

Vol.  II,  ]>.  :W(): 
I.  11,11.11.".;  Cliiul 
II,  i>.  357;  Vii'- 


(which  is  published  in  the  British  Blue  Book,  F<v<iii>g  txc-.u-- 
1S!)0,  C-6131,  p.  84),  that  "anyone  who  knows 
iuiN'thing  of  sealing  is  aware  that  such  a  charge 
[cnti  liing  seals  in  Alaskan  waters  within  tliree 
Icngues  of  the  shore]  is  ridiculous,  as  we  never 
l(t()k  for  seals  within  twenty  miles  of  shore.  They 
iiiv  cnught  all  the  way  from  between  twenty  and 
one  lumdred  and  fifty  miles  off  the  land."  Capt. 
Dyer,  of  the  seized  sealing  schooner  Alfred 
AddiHs,  confirmed  the  above  statement  by  say- 
inji':  "We  had  never  taken  a  seal  within  sixty 
miles  of  Unalaska,  nor  nearer  St.  Paul  than 
sixty  miles  south  of  it."'  Among  the  deposi- 
tions iaken  before  Mr.  A.  R.  Milne,  collector  of 
customs  of  the  poit  of  Victoria,  British  Co- 
Imiibia,  several  of  the  deponents  give  testiuKuiy 
iis  to  the  usual  sealing  distance  from  the  Pribilof 
Islands  while  in  Bering  Sea.  Capt.  William 
Petit,  present  master  and  part  owner  of  the 
steamer  Mischief,  gives  such  distance  as  from 
sixty  to  one  hundred  miles,  and  states  that  seals 
arc  found  all  along  that  distance  from  land  in 
laijic  numbers.^  ('apt.  Wentworth  Evelyn  Baker, 
master  of  the  Canadian  schooner  C.  H.  Tttpper, 
iiiid  foiniei'ly  master  of  the  schooner  Viva,  says 
that  the  distance  from  land  was  from  thirty  to 

'ItvitiHli  Blue  Hook,  I'.  S.  No.  2,  189(),  V-diSl,  p.  108. 
■^  liiitisL  Blue  Book  U.  S.  No.  3  (181)2),  C-6G35,  p.  171. 


1;- 


118 


HABITS   OF    THE    ALASKAN    SEAL. 


Bioua. 


MU 


ii..  w 


'k% 


Fttdiug  excnr-one  liuiulretl  niilcs,  usually  sixty  iniles.^  And 
Capt.  William  Cox,  master  of  the  schooner 
Sapphire^  places  the  principal  hunting  ground  at 
one  hundred  miles  from  the  islands  of  St.  George 
and  St.  Paul.2  Capt.  L.  G.  Shepard,  of  the  Unite(  1 
States  Revenue  Marine,  who  seized  several  ves- 
sels while  sealing  in  Bering  Sea  in  1887  and 
188I>,  states:  "1  have  seen  the  milk  come  from 
the  carcasses  of  dead  females  lying  o'.  the  decks 
of  sealing  vessels  which  were  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  the  Pribilof  Islands."  He  further 
adds  that  he  has  seen  seals  in  the  Avater  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  islands  during 
the  sunnner.^  The  course  of  sealing  vessels  and 
their  daily  "latch  show  also  that  the  majority  of 
the  seals  taken  in  Bering  Sea  are  secured  at  over 
one  hundred  miles  from  the  Pribilof  Ishv.ids.^ 

The  distance  that  the  seals  wander  from  tlic 
islands  during  the  summer  in  their  searcli  for 
food  is  clearly  shown  by  the  *'Seal  Chart"  com- 
piled from  the  observations  of  the  Americim 
cruisers  during  their  cruises  in  Bering  Sea  in 
July,  August,  and  September,  1891.^ 

'  Biitisli  Blue  Hook,  U.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  (J-6635,  p.  173. 

^  Ihid.Y.  Ittl. 

^  L.  (i.  Slicpanl.  Vol.  II.  II.  189. 

*  Loffs  of  scaliiij;  vcshi'Im  sei/.t'd,  Vol.  \,  p.  \\2'). 

•  "Stnil  C'liiii't"  ill  poi'tlolio  of  luilits  tiud  cbui'ts. 


i^ll 


THE    COWS. 


110 


The  gi'diii  distance  of  the  tbedin*''  {rrouiids  i'roui    sixeti  in  hwim 


null};. 


tlic  islands  is  not  remarkable,  as  the  seals  are 
very  rii\)'u\  swimmers  and  possess  great  endur- 
jiiice.'  Tiiomas  Mowat,  esq.,  inspector  of  fish- 
eries for  British  Columbia,  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  Dei)artment  of  Fisheries  of  the  Dominion 
(tf  C-anada  (1886),  at  page  267,  makes  the  fol- 
lowing statement,  which  coiToborates  the  fore- 
^oiiio-:  "Capt.  Donald  McLean,  one  of  our  most 
successful  sealing  captains,  and  one  of  the  first 
to  enter  into  the  business  of  tracking  seals  from 
Cnlifornia  to  Bering  Sea,  infonns  me  he  has  known 
hill  ids  of  seals  to  travel  one  hundred  to  two 
Innidred  miles  a  day,  feeding  and  sleeping  during 
a  portion  of  this  time."  Capt.  Bryant,  with  h)ng 
experience  as  master  mariner  of  a  whaling  vessel, 
states  that  he  is  convinced  that  a  seal  can  swim 
more  rapidly  than  any  species  of  fish,  and  that 
a  female  could  leave  the  islands,  go  to  the  fishing 
grounds  a  hundred  miles  distant  and  easily 
return  the  same  day.*  But  in  case  these  excur- 
sions consumed  a  longer  time,  the  peculiar  phys- 
ical economy  of  the  pup  seal  makes  it  possible 
for  it  to  exist  several  davs  without  nourishment.* 

The  length  of  time  that  a  pup  is  dependent .  ^•M'n«ture  tvom 
upon  its  mother,  as  heretofore  stated,  compels 

'  Chillies  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  6;  W.  S.  Hereford,  Vol.  II,  p.  35. 
'  V.)l.  II,  i>.  6. 
W.  S.  Hereford,  Vol.  II,  p.  33;  H.  H.  Mcliityre,  Vol.  II,  p.  41. 


0 


iil!''"l 


120 


HABITS  OF  THK  ALASKAN  SEAL. 


nopitinire  from lier  to  remain  upon  the  islands  until  about  the 

islauda. 

middle  of  November,  when  the  cold  and  stormy 
weather  inducies  her  to  depart,  her  pup  boin<> 
then  able  to  support  itself. 


Arrival 
isluuds. 


Tl)c    killable 
class. 


THE    BACHELORS. 

at  the  The  bachelor  seals,  or  nonbreeding  males, 
ranj^ing  in  age  from  one  to  five  or  six  years, 
beg-in  to  arrive  in  the  vicinity  of  the  islands  soon 
after  the  bulls  have  taken  up  their  ]H>sitions  upon 
the  rookeries,^  but  the  greater  number  a})peai- 
toward  the  latter  part  of  May.^  They  endeavor 
to  land  upon  the  breeding  grounds,  but  are 
driven  off  by  the  bulls*  and  compelled  to  seek 
the  hauling  grounds.* 

From  this  class  of  seals  are  chosen  the  ones 
which  are  killed  on  the  islands  for  their  pelts,  the 
bachelor  from  two  to  five  years  being  selected.^ 
The  life  on  the  hauling  grounds  is  passed  in 
sleeping,  wandering  about  and  making  occa- 
sional trips  to  the  water."  The  older  bachelors 
spend  a  good  deal  of  time  in  the  water,  their 
instincts  leading  them  to  remain  near  the  breed- 

'  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  11,  p.  13;  H.  H.  Mclntyrc,  7ol.  II,  p.  lU; 
Anton  Melovedoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  144:  J.  C.  Kedpatji,  Vol.  II,  p.  14!). 
■^S.  N.  Buynitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  21. 

'Louis  Kiniiud,  Vol.  II,  p.  173;  Agfjie  Kusliin,  Vol.  II,  p.  12!t. 
*J.  C.  Redpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  149;  Kerriok  Artoniiinoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  10(). 
»  8.  N.  Buynitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  21 ;  Samuel  Fnlcouer.  Vol.  II,  p.  166. 
«H.  H.  Mclutyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  42. 


»»-''-(■;.-,' 


THE    BACHELORS. 


121 


iimji^rounds.*    Mr.  Falconer  says  that  tliey  always    The  kiUabie 

.  class. 

j)uisue  a  female  when  she  is  allowed  to  leave  the 
hiirem  and  go  into  the  water,  but  she  always 
ictuses  them.^  This  is  natural  considering-  the 
fiut  that  the  cow  is  fertilized  before  being 
allowed  to  enter  the  water.^ 

lioth  Capt  Bryant  and  Mr.  Morgan  say  that  Ftieding. 
in  their  opinion  the  bachelor  seals  feed  very 
little  while  located  on  the  islands,*  and  Mr. 
Glidden  states  that  "the  bachelors  once  in  a 
wiiile  go  into  the  water,  but  remain  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  islands.^  Anton  Melovedoff,  the 
native  chief  on  St.  F*aul  Island  for  seven  years 
(18S4-1891)  states  that  he  has  "found  that  the 
seals  killed  in  May  and  early  June  were  fat  and 
that  their  stomachs  were  full  of  food,  pnncii)ally 
codfish,  and  that  later  in  the  season  they  were 
poor  and  had  nothing  in  their  stomachs,"  and 
that,  in  his  opinion,  "none  but  the  mother  seals 
go  out  in  the  sea  to  eat  during  the  time  the  herds 
are  on  the  islands."®  And  his  opinion  in  this 
matter  coiTesponds  with    the  views  of  natives 


2717- 


'  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  43. 

^Vol.  U,p.  165. 

3.4n^e,  p.ll5. 

<  Vol.  II,  p.  6;  Vol.  II,  p.  63. 

"  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

«  Vol.  II,  p.  U4. 

-16 


»'^ 


122 


HABITS  OF  THE  ALASKAN  SKAL. 


V,r, 


i '" 


i»..»»fc,/ 


set*"  !■■.  M'' 


ill 


i*i!*s 


MiiiKliiiji; 
till'  cows. 


isliiiuls. 


FciMiing.  and  wliites  who  have  been  long  resident  on  the 

Pribilof  Islands.* 
ith  Wlien  the  rookeries  become  diaorfjanized,  tlie 
bachelors,  no  longer  tearing  the  bulls,  whicli 
possess  great  ferocity  during  the  rutting  season, 
even  attacking  man,^  move  down  onto  the  breed- 
ing grounds,  and  pups,  cows,  and  bachelors 
mingle  together  indiscriminately.* 

Popnrture  frcm  jj^^^  ^|jg  bachelors  remain  until  the  time  of 
their  de})arture,  which  generally  takes  place  at 
the  same  time  the  cows*  and  pups  leave  the 
islands,  though  a  few  bachelors  always  are  found 
after  that  period.^ 

MIGRATION   OF   THE    HERD. 

The  Alaskan  seal  herd  is  migratory  from 
necessity,  for  when  the  weather  has  been  par- 
ticularly mild  during  certain  winters  seals  have 
been  found  on  land  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
islands  the  year  round.'  An  examination  of  the 
table  showing  the  annual  killing  of  seals  on  St- 
Paul  Island  for  several  years  proves  conclusively 

'  Karp  Buterin,  Vol.  II,  p.  103;  Nicoli  Kiukoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  133; 
JohuFratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  108;  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  180;  1.  C. 
Redpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  149;  Kerrick  Artomanoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

"  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  14. 

'J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16. 

<H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  41. 

"Tables  of  killing  on  St.  Paul  Island,  Vol.  II,  p.  114. 

•H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  41;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5. 


gijISirli;-,; 


MIGRATION   OF    THE    HERD. 


123 


udent  on  tlie 


tlie  presence  of  seals  on  tlie  islands  for  at  least 
tiglit  months  of  the  year,  and  that  they  have  in 
fact  been  killed  there  in  every  month  of  the  year.' 

The  primal  cause  of  migration  is  undoubtedly  Causes, 
tlie  severity  of  the  winter  vveather,^  and  to  that 
may  be  added  a  lack  of  food  supply.^'  The  seals 
evidently  consider  these  islands  their  sole  home, 
and  only  leave  them  from  being  forced  so  to  do.* 
If  the  climate  permitted  they  would  without 
doubt  remain  on  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pribilof 
Islands  during  the  entire  year.^  That  this  is  true 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  of  their  so  remaining 
during  unusually  warm  winters,  as  above  stated, 
and  from  the  further  fact  that  the  seals  of  the 
Galapagos  Islands,  which  much  resemble  in  their 
iiabits  the  Alaskan  herd,  do  not  migrate,  not 
being  compelled  so  to  do  by  the  weather."  Capt. 
Budington,  who  has  had  twenty  years'  experience 
as  a  sealer  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  states  that 
"the  Terra  del  Fuego  and  Patagonian  seals  never 
leave  the  rookeries  or  the  waters  in  the  vicinity, 
only  going  out  into  the  inland  waters  in  search 

'  Table  of  killinj;  on  St.  Paul  Island,  Vol.  II,  p.  114. 

-W.  H.  Dall,  Vol.  II,  p.  23,24;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5; 
Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  180. 

'Same  authorities. 

^  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5;  Samuel  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p. 
165;  Kerrick  Artoniaiioff,  Vol.  II,  p.  100. 

^Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62; 
Article  by  \)r.  Allen,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  i).405. 

"  C.  W.  Roeil,  Vol.  II,  p.  472;  see  also  Isaac  Liebes,  Vol.  II,  p.  515. 


124  HABITS   OF    THE   ALASKAN   SEAL. 

Causes.  of  f'ood.     About  Terra  del  Fuejfo  no  ice  forms, 

and  no  snow  falls  that  remains.  The  tempera- 
ture remains  about  the  same  summer  and  winter.'" 

The  conrw.  The  fact  exists,  however,  that  the  Alaskan  seal 

herd  is  compelled  to  migrate.  The  course  pur- 
sued, which  is  confined  to  the  eastern  side  of  tlie 
Bering  Sea  and  Pacific  Ocean,  is  to  a  certain 
extent  conjectural,  but  sufficient  data  have  been 
collected  to  state  it  with  approximate  accuracy. 
On  leaving  the  islands  in  November  or  Decem- 
ber the  seals  turn  southward,  pass  through  the 
channels  of  the  Aleutian  chain,  and  enter  the 
Pacific  Ocean.**  The  bulls  after  entering  the 
ocean  remain  in  the  waters  south  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands  and  the  Alaskan  Peninsula,  and  in  the 
early  spring  may  be  found  near  the  Fairweather 
Ground.  They  are  seldom  seen  below  Baranoff 
Island.^  Turning  eastward  after  enternig  the 
ocean*  the  remainder  of  the  herd,  cows,  bachel- 
ors and  pups,  begin  to  appear  off"  the  coast  of 
California  the  latter  part  of  December  or  first  of 
January.®  The  seals  now  turn  northward,'  fol- 
lowing up  the  coast,  twenty,  thirty  or  more  miles 

»J.  W.  Budingtou,  Vol.  II,  p.  596. 

«  H.  H.  Mclutyre,  Vol.  II,  i>.  42;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62. 
'  Report  of  Capt.  C.  L.   Hooper  to  the  Treasury  Department, 
dated  .June  14,  1892,  Vol.  I,  p.  504. 
/  <  W.  H.  Dall,  Vol.  II,  p.  24;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5. 

"A.  .1.  Hoffman,  Vol.  II,  p.  446;  AllV.-d  Irving,  Vol.  II,  p.  380. 
•  Charles  Lutjeus,  Vol.  II,  p.  458;  H.  H.  Mclutyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  42. 


MIGRATION   OP   TIIK    HERD. 


125 


t'lom  land.'  The  males  pass  much  farther  from  The  course, 
the  shore  than  the  females,  and  travel  more  rap- 
idly toward  the  islands."  The  herd  spreads  along 
the  coast  in  a  long,  in*egular  body,  continually 
advancing  northward  until  they  begin  to  enter 
IJonng  Sea  in  May  and  June,  through  the  east- 
ern j)asse8  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  sel(h>m  going 
west  of  Four  Mountain  Pass,  but  the  last  of  the 
herd  do  not  leave  the  Pacific  until  July."  The 
cows,  however,  are  practically  out  of  the  Pacific 
( )cean  by  the  middle  of  June.*  A  chart  showing 
this  migration  has  been  prepared  from  the  data 
contained  in  the  de])ositions  herewith  submitted." 
The  manner  of  traveling  of  the  seals  ia 
divided  by  the  pelagic  sealers  into  different 
Iieads,  namely,  "slee})ing,"  when  a  seal  rests  and 
sleeps  on  its  back  on  the  surface  of  the  water  ,)iiug' 
with  only  its  nose  and  the  tips  of  its  hind  flippers 
protruding  from  the  waves; ^  **finnnig,"  when  it 
Hes  on  its  back  gently  moving  its  flipi)erb  j  ^  "nd- 

'  British  Blu»)  Book,  U.  8.  No.  .T  (18!t2),  0-0635,  p.  183;  Anmiiil 
Report  of  the  Departmeut  of  Fisheries,  Dominion  of  Cuiiada 
(1886),  p.  267. 

-Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  ji.  405;  Isaac  Liebes, 
Vol.  II,  p.  454. 

J  Charles  .1.  Hajjue,  Vol.  II,  p.  207;  C.  H.  Anderson,  Vol.  11,  j).  205, 

'  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  42;  Watkins,  Vol.  II,  p.  395;  Alfred 
Irving,  Vol.  II,  p.  386. 

■See  also  Chart  of  Miration,  Portfolio  of  it).i;..i  and  charts; 
British  Blue  Book,  No.  3  (18'.»2),  C-  6035,  p.  183. 

"  A.  B.  Alexander,  Vol.  II,  p.  355. 

'  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  355. 


Manu(>r  <  (  trav- 


12(] 


ITAHrrs   OF   THE   ALASKAN    BF,AL. 


Thetourso.       liii<f,"  wlu'u  hizilv  rn;i}ij»('(l  in  rolling'  ovor  upon 


m 


!JIHl*';'j!fev|flH|J 


I       U, 


tnivt'linu"  or 


H'U 


lli'i'd    <1i)t'«    not 

lllllll  <'\<'l>|lt  nil    I'll 

l>il(ir  l.slaii(lt). 


tho  surface  of  tlie  water 
injj^,"  vvIk^u  njovinj^-  rapidly  tinoujrli  the  water," 
and  "brearhing,"  when  leaping-  out  of  the  water 
like  a  (h»lphin.* 

During-  their  migration  the  seals  never  land 
upon  the  coast  and  no  rookeries  of  fur  seals  Hre 
known  to  exist  upon  the  North  American  con- 
tinent or  the  islands  a<ljacent  thereto,  except  iit 
the  IVihilof  Islands.  Upon  this  j)oint  there  is  a 
unanimity  of  testimony,  by  scientists,-'  experts,' 
seal  hunters  of  long  experience,^  traders,"  and 
Indians  along  the  coast  and  Aleutiari  chain  of 
islands,"  which  j)recludes  the  jjossibility  of  the 
existence  of  rookeries  other  than  those  on  ilic 


'  A.  M.  Alexiuiiler.  Vol.  II,  p.  35£ 
»  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  :i".. 

nv.  II.  I  mil.  Vol.  II,  p.  23. 

*  H.  H.  Mcliityie,  Vol.  II,  p.  40;  Jobn  Fiatis,  Vol.  II,  p.  107. 

**  Daniel  ("lauscii. Vol.  II,  p.  412;  Liitjcns.N'ol.  II.  p.  4.")y;  An<'  w 
Laing,  in  Hritisb  Hliie  Hook,  U.  8.  No.  3  (1802),  p.  183. 

'•  M.  L.  Wiishbuinc,  Vol.  II,  p.  488. 

'Chickinoff  (Kadiak  Island),  Vol.  II,  p.  219;  Paul  VoiiiiK(Ka- 
san),  Vol.  II,  p.  292;  Billy  Yeltachy  (Uowkan),  Vol.  II,  p.  30J; 
Sehkatatiu  (Yakutat  Bay).  V(d.  11,  p.  243;  Ntkla-ali  (Chiitliam 
Sound),  Vol.  II,  p.  288;  Necliuutake  (Icy  Bay  to  Wrangel),  Vol.  II, 
p.  241;  Goorg«!  Lat'liet-k  (Sitka  Bay),Vol.  II,  )>.  2(>,');  lloouali  Dick 
(Cross  Sound),  Vol.  II.  i>,  258;  Eliali  Proko|>ief(Attu  Islantl),  Vol. 
II,  p.  215;  FilaretProkojiief  (Attn  Island),  Vol.11,  p.  216;  .^aiMiitl 
Kalioorof  (Attn  Island),  Vol.  II,  p.  214;  Clii«f  Aniia-tlas  ( liiknii 
lulet),  Vid.  II,  p.  254 ;  Metry  Mouin  (Cooks  lulet).  Vol.  II.  ]>.  L'l'li; 
NicoliGrei'irort'(Priiice^\'illiani  .Sound),  V»d.  II,  p.  234;  llastiiiL;s 
Yeilinow  (Kaswau),  Vol.  1I,]>.  303;  Ciuorge  KutwootseliisL  (Suiitli- 
easteru  Alu8ka),  Vol.  II,  p.  251. 


MKJKATION    OF    THK    MKKI). 


127 


n-  ovor  upon 


iVihilof  Islsiuds,  or  of  the  seals  ever  Imiiliiijr  (, lit  iin.i  .i.-h  i,oi 
OH  file  coast  or  neifflibonnjr  islaiuls;  and  ('apt.  •'««i.ii..nHiaii.i«. 
Andersen,  who  has  ernised  seven  years  in  Herinfr 
Scji,  says  the  natives  of  Bristol  Bay  and  St. 
Michael  do  not  know  what  a  fur-seal  is.'  (!apt. 
\'ictor  Jacobson,  one  of  the  best  known  sealers 
of  N'ictoria,  British  Columbia,  who  has  seen 
eleven  years  of  seal  hunting-,  and  is  the  owner 
and  master  of  the  sealing-  schooner  Man/  Ellen 
and  (nvner  of  the  schooner  Minnie,  says:  "  I  have 
never  known  a  fur-seal  to  haul  out  upon  any 
part  of  the  coast  of  the  United  States,  British 
Columbia,  or  Alaska.  All  parts  of  the  coast  have 
hecn  visited  by  the  s<';d  hunters,  and  if  seals 
liauKid  out  any  place  it  would  have  been  known 
by  the  hunters."^ 
This  statement  is  made  still  strong-er  bv  the    J'crfi  docs  n..t 

*  ("iiti'i-  iuluiiil    wii- 

tact  tliat  the  seals  do  not  enter  the  inland  waters  •icis- 
of  the  coast  during  their  migration,  remaining 
always  in  the  open  sea  or  at  the  mouths  of  large 
bays,  inlets,  and  gulfs.^  Father  Francis  Verbeke, 
Roman  Catholic  priest  at  Barclay  Sound,  says 
that  he  has  never  seen  or  heard  of  fur-seals 
in.side  of  Barclay  Sound;  they  are  all  found  out- 


'  Vol.  II,  p.  205. 
-Vol.  II,  |).  .329. 

'Jolm   Marfrfithc,  Vol.    II,  p.  308;  Billy  Nahoo,    Vol,  II,  p. 252; 
Koukoiial,  Vol.11,  p.  251;  Albert  Keetuuck,  Vol.11,  p.  250 


W-. 


128 


HAIUTS   OV   THK    AT-ASKAN    8KAL. 


tera. 


iinii  does  not  side.'     Rev.  Willifiin  Dniicaii,  for  tliirtv  years  a 

ciitt!!-   iuluud  wa- 

missionary  among'  the  Vancouver  Indians,  and 

whose  successful  labors  in  civilizing  and  Chris- 
tianizing the  Indians  is  well  known  in  Canada 
and  the  United  States,  states  that  he  has  never 
heard  of  fur  seal  hauling  upon  the  coast  of  British 
Columbia  or  Alaska,  or  anywhere  save  on  the 
Pribilof  Islands.^  Shucklean,  an  old  Indian  of 
Killisnoo,  (Chatham  Sound,  states  that  the  seals 
do  not  frequent  those  waters,  and  he  never  saw 
a  man  who  had  seen  a  seal  pu]).'  Kah-chuck- 
tee,  the  old  chief  of  the  Huchenoo  Indians, 
states  that  he  has  visited  all  the  inlets  and 
islands  in  Chatham  Sound  and  other  [)arts  of 
Alaska  as  far  as  Sitka  and  never  saw  a  fur  seal 
m  the  inland  waters,  and  adds  he  would  have 
heard  of  seal  hauling  upon  the  islands  or  main- 
land of  Alaska  from  the  Indians,  who  traded 
with  his  tribe  for  herring  oil,  if  such  a  thing  had 
occurred,  but  he  had  never  heard  such  a  re})ort. 
Ruth  Burdukofski,  a  native  of  Unalaska  Island, 
states  that  "no  old  sealc  ever  haul  out  in  this 
vicinity,"  but  tiiat  in  the  fall  pups  sometimes 
come  on  sliore   after   a   heavy  blow  from   the 

I  Vol.  II,  p.  311.  See  also  Dick  or  EbeiisheBut,  Vol.  II,  p.  306; 
Clat  ka-koi,  Vol.11,  p.  305. 

n'ol.II.p.279. 

'SImckleiMi,  Vol.  II.  p.  2.53.  See  also  Kesth  Riley,  Vol.  II,  p.  252; 
Toodiys  ("liiulie.  Vol.  II,  p.  2ti>. 

*  Kali-chuck-tee,  Vol.  II,  p.  248. 


'il'ir'"" 


f'Cm 


MIGRATION    OF   THP:    HEED. 


120 


rty  years  a 
ulisins,  and 
and  Chris- 
ill  Canadii 
3  has  never 
st  of  British 
iave  on  the 
1  Indian  of 
at  the  seals 
B  never  saw 
Kah-clnu-k- 
00    Indians, 
inlets    and 
ler  parts  ot 
w  a  fur  seal 
would  have 
ids  or  niain- 
who   traded 
a  thino"  had 
L'Ji  a  report. 
Hskii  Island, 
out  in  this 
sometimes 
w  from   the 


t,  Vol.  II,  p.  306; 


y,  Vol.  II,  p.  252; 


ll'l 


mi 


north;  these  lie  believes  to  have  betsi  separated    Herd  >\m»  m.i 

f'litin'    iiiiiiiiil    \v!i 

from  their  mothers,  und  seek  shelter  and  rest '<•«>*. 
from  the  storm  on  the  island.'  Pud  Zaotehnoi^ 
one  of  the  \leut  chiefs  at  Atka  Island  (near  the 
ceiiter  of  the  Aleutian  chain),  says  that  fur-seals 
never  rest  on  the  shores  in  that  lej^ion.^  It  ha« 
been  supposed  that  the  fur-seals  which  formerly 
fi('<iuented  the  Guadalupe  Islands  and  the  coast 
ot'  southern  California  wei'e  a  portion  of  the 
I'rihilof  Islands  herd  which  remained  south  to 
hreed;  a  recent  examination  of  specimens  by 
IJr.  xVlleii,  Dr.  Merriam,  and  Mr.  Fheodore  Gill, 
all  naturalists  of  rejiute,  has  proven  that  the 
Guadalupe  Island  fm-seal  belongs  to  a  s})e(;ies  of 
tlie  <>enus  Arctoccplia/uti,  which  is  entirely  distinct 
t'roni  the  CaUorhhmn  i(r,simi.s,  and  have  united  in 
a  paper  to  that  eilect.'  It  is  therefore  certain 
that  the  Pribilof  herd  do  not  breed  or  land  at 
any  other  point  excej)t  the  Pribilof  Islands. 

The  Russian  seal  lienl  on  leaving  the  Com-    '"iic  HuHHian 
mander  Islands  insteatl  of  turning'  eastward,  like 
the  iVlaskan  herd,  turns  westward,*  entering-  the 

'  Kutli  BuidnkofHld.Vol.  II,  p.  206.  See  also  Pan]  Kepiii.Vol.  II, 
;i.  '-'07;  S.  Mi'lovedotK.  \<.l.  II.  \>.  L'OJI.  ami  Diuid  Sulaiiiatiill,  Vol.  II, 
p.  J()!l;  Ivan  Kinki.tt'.  Vol.  II.   p.  L'Oll. 

Vol.11,    p.  213.     See  also   Kukki:.'     (}<nioi,  Vol.  II,  p.  21H. 
Article  li.v  Dr.  .Mien,   I'ait  III.  Vol.  I,  ji.  4(Ki;  Stat<iiHiit  l),v  Dr. 
.\!l('ii,  Dr.   Meiriaiii.  an  1  Mi.  Tlu odorc  (Jill,  Vol.  I,  p.  .>S6.    Soe 
alsii  Uaai'  l.iidn's,  \'oi.   II,  p.  I5."i. 
i  Larlrs  ,1.  Ila<;iic,  N'ol.  II,  p.  207. 

27U; 17 


130 


MANAGEMENT    OF    lllE    WEAL    KOOKEKIES. 


Tho  Russian  >Sc'n  of  ()kli<»tisk,  wlitTe  tliGV  are  often  found  by 

herd.  ^  "^  '' 

wlinlcr.^  in  the  early  i--))rin<>/  and  also  range  along- 
the  Japan  coasts  -  This  shows  the  .similarity  of 
lial)its  of  these  two  herds,  hut  at  the  same  time 
is  further  evidence  that  they  never  intermingle. 


llf^;!''^^^^lM 


MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  SEAL  ROOKERIES. 
RUSSIAN    MANAGEMENT. 

After  tlio  discovery  of  the  Pribilof  Islands 
several  Russian  fur  companies  sent  expeditions 
thither  for  the  purp  tse  of  procuring  seal  skins 
and  amuially  great  numbers  were  taken.  When 
the  Hussian  American  Company  came  into  pos- 
session of  these  valuable  rookeries  in  1799,  the 
unlimited  slaughter  ceased  and  a  limitation  was 
placed  upon  the  number  t«>  betaken.  Becoming 
more  familiar  with  the  condition  and  habits  of 
the  animals,  es])ecially  their  habit  of  polygamy, 
a  further  limitation  was  enforced  providing  that 
male  seals  alone  should  be  killed,  but  no  limita- 
tion was  fixed  as  to  the  age  of  such  males,  the 
skins  being  procured  from  bidls,  bachelors,  and 
gray  pups  alike,  the  demands  of  the  Chinese 
market  being  the  princij)}!!  giiitle  as  t(»  the  class 
taken.     I'oward  the  dose  of  the  Russian  occu- 

U'ltiirles  Itryidit.  Vol.  11.  ]..  I. 

'Eeport  of  Aiiiericuii  Heiiiif;  .Sfu  (Joiiiiniasioners,  j>o»(,  p.  32i(. 


RUSSIAN    MANAGEMENT. 


131 


pation,  however,  the  taking  of  gray  piii)s  was 
practically  sto})})e(l,  except  for  food  and  seal  oil, 
and  the  bachelor  seals  supidied  nearly  all  the 
skins  taken  on  the  islands.'  Under  tlie  general 
|)r(»tective  system  adopted  by  Russia  for  seal  life 
;in<l  tlie  restrictions  added  from  time  to  time,  the 
seal  herd  contniued  to  increase"  mitil  the  Mana- 
jicrs  of  the  Russian  American  Com})any  consid- 
ered it  possible  and  expedient  to  take  seventy- 
tlxtusand  skins  from  St.  Paul  Island  without 
danger  of  depleting  the  seal  population.'  The 
/vleuts,  who  had  been  brought  to  the  iylands 
Aviien  the  c(^tmpany  first  came  into  i)ossession  of 
tlie  rookeries,  had  throngh  gen<n'ations  of  exper- 
ience become  ex])ert  in  the  handling  and  taking 
of  seals  and  discriminating  between  the  killable 
and  nonkillable  classes ;  so  that  the  annual 
(juota  of  skins  was  procured  with  the  least  ])Ossi- 
hle  waste  of  life  and  d.  lubanee  of  the  breeding 
seals. 


'  Letter  iVoiii  Boiird  of  Adiiiinistriitioii  of  RuHniiiii  Ainei'i<  iin 
('(imiiiiny  to  Chief  Mim;ij;t'i'  \'o,vt'V(»<lsk,v,  dutctl  April  24  IWil, 
Vol.  l,p".  82. 

-  Lfttcr  from  tbf  Cliief  Msuiiiffcr  to  the  Honrd  of  Acliiiinistni- 
tiiMi  of  the  HiiHHian  American  ('oiii]KUiy,  dated  .laiiiiavy  i::.   1859; 


Vol.  1, 11.  8li:  also  saint'  lOHaiiic,  datt-d  OcfohcrT,  ISiJ?,  \'ol. 


,84. 


'  Letter  from  the  Chief  Matiafjer  of  the  I'nHHiaii  Aniericaii  C'tdo- 
iiii'N  to  Mr,  Milovidof,  Manager  of  St.  I'uul  Ibluud,  dated  May  1 
ISUt.  Vol.  1,  i>.  89. 


132 


MANAGEMENT   OF   THE   SEAL   ROOKERIES. 
THE  SLAUGHTER  OF  1868. 

When  the  United  States  came  into  possess'. r.i 
of  these  islands  by  the  cession  of  18G7,  it  wjis 
impossible  immediately  to  formulate  an  admin- 
istrative system  for  all  portions  of  the  territory 
then  so  little  known  and  so  distant  from  the  .seat 
of  government.  The  year  1 8(j8  was  one  of  inter- 
regnum at  the  Pribilof  Islands.  Prof  W.  }\. 
Dall  visited  them  that  vear,  and  briefly  dc- 
scribes  the  state  of  afl'airs  there  existinj^,  lie 
says:  "  During"  my  visit  to  St.  George  Island  in 
18G8  tliis  vast  territory  of  Alaska  had  just  fallen 
into  the  possession  of  the  United  States,  and  tlic 
Government  had  not  yet  fairly  established  more 
than  the  beginning  of  an  organization  for  its 
management  as  a  whole,  without  mentioning*  sue) i 
details  as  the  Pribilof  Islands.  In  consequence 
of  this  state  of  afl'aiis,  ])rivate  enterprise  in  tlie 
form  of  companies  dealing  in  furs  had  established 
numerous  sealing  stations  on  the  islands  during 
1868.  During  my  stay,  except  on  a  single 
occasion,  the  driving  from  the  hauling  grounds, 
the  killing  and  skinning,  was  done  by  the  natives 
in  the  same  manner  as  when  under  the  Russian 
rule,  e.ich  competing  party  paying  them  so  nnich 
per  skin  for  their  labor  in  taking  them.  Despite 
the  very  bitter  and  more  or  less  unscrupulous  com- 


ameuican*  Management. 


133 


o  possess ■.);i 
18G7,  it  wns 
e  an  ji<lniin- 
he  territory 
rom  the  seat 
one  of  intei- 
Prof.  W.  H. 

briefly  dc- 
xistinj^.  He 
•ge  Island  in 
id  just  fallen 
ites,  and  the 
blished  more 
ation  for  its 
itioningsucli 
eonseqnence 
rprise  in  tlie 
d  established 
lands  during 
on  a  single 
ing-  grounds, 
y  the  natives 

the  Russian 
hem  so  nuic'i 
3m.  Despite 
upulousconi- 


M 


pc^tition  among- the  various  parties,  all  reeog-nized 
tlic  iinportauee  of  preserving  the  industry  and 
proteeting-  the  breeding  gnmndsfrom  molestation 
iVixd  for  the  most  part  were  guided  by  this  con- 
viction."' There  being,  liowever,  no  limitations 
as  to  numbers,  about  two  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  bachelor  seals'  skins  were  taken  that 
year  from  the  Pribilof  Islands.^  Tiie  same  3'ear 
tlie  United  States  Government  had  sent  an  ag-ent 
to  these  islands,  who  unfortunatel}-  was  delayed 
and  compelled  to  winter  at  Sitka.* 

AMERICAN    MANAGEMENT. 

The  following  spring  (1869)  the  Goverment 
agent,  Dr.  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  and  a  revenue  vessel, 
under  command  of  Capt.  John  A.  Henriques,* 
reached  the  islands,  and  immediately  took  pre- 
cautions to  protect  tlie  seal  herd  from  molesta- 
tion; especial  care  being  taken  to  i)revent  the 
breeding  seal  from  being  disturbed.  The  dogs 
on  the  islands  were  killed,  and  the  firearms  of  the 
natives  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  Govern- 
ment officials,  in  order  that  neither  might  terrify 
the  occupants  of  the  rookeries."    After  these  pre- 

~Vol.  II,  p.  23.  ' 

'(ieorge  R.  Adams,  Vol.  II,  p.  157. 
'T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  63. 
'  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  47. 
"J.  A.  Heuriques,  Vol.  II,  p.  31;  Charles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  8, 


PH 


134 


MANAOEMENt   OF   THE   SfiAL   ROOItERlSS. 


hirtft;rfjNL*'' 


■.'  r 


m 


cautions  the  United  States  took  up  the  consid- 
eration of  the  most  advantageous  manner  of 
workino-  tlie  seal  industry. 
The  lease ot  1870.  VaHous  recommeiidations  and  suggestions 
were  made  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States 
in  relation  to  this  matter,  but  after  a  thorough 
and  careful  examination  of  the  various  methods 
proposed  the  most  expedient  was  found  to  be 
the  leasing  of  the  islands  to  a  single,  reliable 
company,  under  the  immediate  supervision  and 
control  of  agents  of  the  United  States  Treasury 
Department  duly  appointed  for  that  purpose. 
Pursuant  to  such  investigation  and  conclusion, 
tlie  Congress  of  the  United  States  on  July  I, 
1870,  passed  an  act  accordingly,*  and  in  August, 
1870,  Mr.  Bout  well,  Secretary  of  the  Treasmy, 
advertised  for  bids  for  the  lease  of  the  "seal 
fisheries"  for  twenty  years.  Of  fourteen  bids^ 
offered  by  different  companies  and  associations, 
that  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  with  a 
capital  of  $2,000,000,  was  accepted  by  the  IVas- 
ury  as  the  one  best  fitted  to  promote  "the  interests 
of  the  Government,  the  native  inhabitants,  the 
parties  heretofore  engaged  in  tlie  trade,  and  the 
protection  of  the  seal  fisheries,"  as  required 
by   the   act    of    July  1,   1870.^     The    method 

1  l".  8.  «tat8.  at  Large,  Vol.  XVI,  c.  1K9. 

-11.  K.  hoc.  No.  108,  Fort.v-HfHt  Congress,  pp.  5-9. 

m.  K.  Doe.  Nu.  108,  Furty-tirat  CoBgreas,  pp.  19,20. 


AMERICAN   MANAGEMENT.  I35 

of   rnaimainrr     tJie     rookeries    thus    entablished    Terms  ofiouso. 

iillowed  the  lessees  to  take  one  liuiidred  tliou- 

siind  male  seals  over  one  year  old  durinjr  the 

months  of  June,  July,  September,  and  October 

of  each  year,  tmd  prohibiting  the  use  of  firearms 

or  other  methods  tending  to  drive  away  the  seals 

from  the  islands  and  the  killing  of  seals  in  the 

water.     In    consideration    for    the    sknis    thus 

obtained  the  lessees  covenanted  to  pay  to  the 

Treasury  of  the  United    States    annually  fifty- 

five  thousand  dollars  as  rental  of  said  islands,  a 

revenue  tax  or  duty  of  two  dollars  upon  each 

fur-seal  skin    taken  and   shipped  by  them,  and 

the  further  sum  of  sixty-two  and  one-half  cents 

for  each   fur-seal  skin  taken;    also  to    furnish, 

free  of  charge,  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  of 

St.  Paul  and  St.  George   annually  twenty-five 

thousand  dried  salmon,  sixty  cords  firewood,  a 

sufficient  quantity  of  salt  and  m-eserxed  meat; 

also  to  maintain  a  school  on  each  island  for  at 

least  eight  months  in  each  year,  and  not  to  sell 

any  distilled  spirits  or  spirituous  liquors  on  said 

islands.'      The   lease   thus   granted   was    more 

advantageous  to  the  Government  of  the  United 

States  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  Pribilof  Islands 

ti|arUhe  terms  ofjeasing  provided  for  in  the  act 

'  Lease  to  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  Vol,  I,  p  m. 


'  't 


13fi 


MANAGEMENT   OP   THE   SEAL   ROOKERIES. 


Ill'     '"  t 


J ' 


TeruiH  of  lease,  of  July  1,  1870,'  aiul  far  more  favorable  than 
the  lease  of  the  (Sunniander  and  Robben  islands 
gi'anted  by  the  Russian  Government  to  the  same 
company  hi  1871." 
^^Amcndment  of  Qji  the  24th  of  March,  1 874,  an  act  amendatory 
of  the  act  of  July  1,  1870,  was  passed  by  Con- 
gress, by  which  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasure- 
was  given  authority  to  designate  the  months  in 
which  seals  might  be  taken  on  the  islands  and 
the  number  to  be  taken  thereon;^  thus  plaining 
the  immediate  control  of  the  killing  in  the  hands 
of  the  Government  officials,  with  power  to  modify 
and  reduce  the  quota  allowed,  at  any  time  when 
it  was  deemed  necessary  for  the  protection  of 
seal  life  upon  the  islands.  It  is  evident,  there- 
fore, that  the  United  States  has  taken  the  greatest 
precautions  to  limit  the  number  killed  in  such  a 
way  as  to  preserve  the  seal  herd  from  depletion. 
Investigation  of  The  Origin  aiid  })ractical  workings  of  the  lease 
of  187u  were  made  the  subject  of  an  elaborate 
investigation  in  1876  by  the  Committee  of  Ways 
and  Means  of  the  Forty -fourth  Congress,  who  re- 
ported that  in  their  opinion  the  terms  of  the  lease 
were  highly  favorable  to  the  Government  and 

'  Rej»ort  No.  623,  Honse  of  Representatives,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, first  session,  p.  8. 

''  Report  No.  628,  House  of  Representatives,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, first  session,  p.  7. 

'  U.  S.  Stats,  at  Large,  vol.  xvii,  c.  64,  p.  24. 


1876 


AMEUICAN   MANACfEMENT. 


18T 


Jill  i)arties  concerned;  suul  that  "the  contract  as    inyestigaiiou of 

'  / 1876. 

nijule  was  the  best  disposition  of  this  interest  that 

could  liavebeen  made,  tor  it  is  certain  that  it  has 

resulted  in  the  receii)t  of  a  very  large  revenue 

to  the  Treasury  and  in  an  amelioration  of  the 

physical  and  moral  condition  of  the  natives."  ^ 

In  a  subsequent  investigation  in  1888,  by  the    inre8ti«nti.>n  of 

looo. 

(V)uiuiittee  on  Merchant  Marnie  and  Fisheries  of 
the  Fiftieth  Congress  the  same  conclusion  was 
reached,  the  report  stating: 

"That  the  Alaska  Connnercial  Company  has 
fully  performed  its  contract  with  the  Government 
and  has  contributed  largely  to  the  support,  main- 
tenance, comfort,  and  civilization  of  the  inhab- 
itants, not  only  of  the  seal  islands,  but  also  to 
those  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  Kadiak,  and  the 
mainland."^ 

Both  the  above-mentioned  committees  also  Methods  of  man- 
took  into  consideration  the  method  of  administer- 
ing the  seal  rookeries  as  established  by  the  act  of 
July  1,  1870.  One  of  the  three  following  means 
must  of  necessity  have  been  adopted  for  the 
management  of  the  islands,  viz,  (1)  leasing  to  a 
company;  (2)  making  the  rookeries  free  to  the 
public;  or  (3)  the  Government  itself  working  the 
rookeries. 


agemuut. 


'  Report  No.  623,  House  of  Repiesoutativos,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, tirst  session,  p.  12. 
*H.  K.  No.  3883,  Fiftieth  Congress,  second  session,  it.  xxiii. 
2716 18 


irn.r^ 


■'T'^^iiW 


^^%: 


138 


MANAGEMENT    OF    THE    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


ill 


P'ii:' 

IIS' 


Wi 


i^jff'!': 


r  11 1 1  c  n  u  H  f  «i 

working  iiiiiiiikoti- 
ciibiu. 


Tlio  second  course  would  con:'e(ledly  have 
re«ulted  in  the  extonnination  of  flie  Alasska  seal 
herd  in  a  very  short  time,*  as  it  has  in  all  cases 
where  seal  killing  has  been  general  and  unlim- 
ited.'^ 
w<>ikiii«;i..vO(.y-     The  third  method,  direct  management  by  the 

nriiMH-ut  imiiiacti-  "^  •' 

ciibi«.  Government,  was  also  deemed  impracticable  to 

the  committees  who  investigated  the  questif>n. 
The  committee  of  Congress  in  1876  reported  that 
in  their  judgment  the  Government  could  not 
advantageously  assume  charge  itself  of  the  seal 
industry  and  did  wisely  to  intrust  it  to  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Comi)any.^  The  connnittee  of  Con- 
gress which  made  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
question  in  1888  reported:  "All  these  witnesses 
(those  examined  by  the  committee)  concur  in 
testifying  to  the  wisdom  of  the  existing  law  on 
the  subject,  and  favor  the  retention  of  the  pres- 
ent system.  All  other  existing  rookeries  are 
managed  substantially  in  the  same  way  by  the 
different  Governments  to  which  they  belong,  all 
following  the  lead  of  Russia,  who  managed  and 
protected  our  rookeries  by  a  similar  method  from 
their  discovery  until  their  transfer  to  the  United 

'  Senate  Doc.  No.  48,  Forty -fonrtli  Conf;re88,  iirst  session,  p.  4. 
»  Pott,  p.  218. 

•'  Report  No.  623,  llonse  of  RepresentativeB,  Forty-fourth  Con 
gress,  tirst  session,  p.  12. 


Piii; 


i;r"' 


AMERICAN   MANAOEMENT. 


189 


States.     It  did  not  reniiire  the  testimony  of  wit-  w.nkinKbyOov. 

''  criiiiu'iit  iiiipructi* 

iicsses  to  convince  the  conunittee  that  the  Gov-''''''^- 
eminent  itself  couM  not  successfully  manage  this 
liiisiness."^  It  is  evident  from  the  nature  of  the 
iii(Uistry  that  in  case  the  sealing  on  the  islands 
should  be  managed  directly  by  the  Govennnent 
the  opi)oi'tunities  for  fraud  and  theft  are  very 
i^reat  on  the  part  of  the  agents,  who  under  the 
act  of  1870  are  prohibited  from  being  in  anyway 
connected  or  interested  in  the  industry;  as  it  is 
now  the  lessees  and  agents  are  restraints  upon 
each  other.  Further,  the  business  requires  ex- 
pert knowledge  of  seal  habits,  the  market,  and 
the  transactions  pertaining  to  the  sale  of  the 
skins,  necessitating  the  presence  of  agents,  not 
only  on  the  islands,  but  in  San  Francisco  and 
Fjondon,  who  are  thoroughly  conversant  with 
these  points.  Immediate  Government  manage- 
ment is  at  once  seen  to  be  Impracticable  under 
these  circumstances  and  the  present  method 
employed  to  be  the  only  feasible  one. 

The  careful  investigations  made  by  the  Con-j^.j^^[.'"}*"|^4:^"*^*''*' 
gressional  committees  showed  that  the  Alaska 
Coniniercial  Company  had  fulfilled  the  terms  of 
the  lease  in  all  respects  according  to  the  require- 


'  Kciiort  No.  3883,  House  of  Kei)ieseiitutivefl,  Fiftieth  (Joiigress, 
geccinil  Hussiuu,  p.  xxiii. 


\^;f^. 


1!1     ■ 


140 


MANAOEMKNT   OP   THE    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


Workings  of  tiieiuents  of  tlic  Act  of  1870;'  that  in  connilianco 

leam;  of  1»70.  ^  ,  _        ' 

witli  the  teniiH  of  the  leaHe  (many  of  wliicli  aiv 
not  contained  in  the  Act  of  1870)  the  leHsccs 
furnished  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  with  a 
large  number  of  connnodious  dwellings,  witliout 
charging  rent,  and  making  free  repairs;"-  built 
them  two  free  schools; '  kept  stores  at  which  goods 
were  sold  at  low  pri(!es;*  supplied  them  witii 
free  provisions,  medicines,  and  medical  attend- 
ance;"* established  and  nuiintained  for  them  a 
savings  bank,  with  a  total  of  over  foity  thousand 
dollars  of  deposits,"  and  proliibited  the  sale  of 
iutoxicating  liquors  on  the  islands,^ 

CONDITION    OF   THK    NATIVES. 

The  improvement  in  the  condition  of  the 
natives  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  is  mie  of  the 
marked  features  of  the  benefit  which  ii.m  resulted 

'  Rt'jioit  No.  623,  House  of  Represeutatives,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gresH,  first  sewsion,  p.  11;  Report  No.  3883,  House  of  Represeiitii- 
tivt'8,  Fiftietli  C'ougrcss,  s()Ct)U(l  .session,  p.  xxiii. 

-Report  No.  623,  HonH«  of  Representiitive.s,  lM)rty-foHrtli  Con- 
gresH,  HrHtMessiuu,  jt.  30;  Re]>ort  No.  3883,  House  of  Roprescuta- 
tivt'N,  Fiftietli  Congress,  second  session.,  pp.  31,  32. 

'Report  No.  623,  House  of  Representatives,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gi'ess,  tirst  session,  pp.  30,  .33;  Report  No.  3883,  House  of  Represeu. 
tatives,  Fiftieth  Coujfress,  second  session,  p.  31. 

^Report  No.  6:'3,  House  of  Representatives,  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, tirst  session,  p.  30,  No.  :^83,  House  of  Represeutatives, 
Fiftieth  Congress,  second  sessioU;  p.  32. 

''  Same  report,  p.  30. 

•    "         "       p.  31. 

1    "         "       p.  32. 


:if;:;::i: 


Sii';i! 


■  ■'  ^  .■'■■■■*, 


ml 


iiii.'a 


CONDITION   OF   THE   NATIVES. 


141 


tioiii  tlio  innnaf^onicnt  of  those  iHlaiulH  under  the 
s\  stem  a(h)i)te(l  in  1870  by  the  Congress  of  the 
I'nited  States. 
When  the  United  States  Government  assumed  .  '-";'«>■  ♦''«  ""« 

Biun  CuiuiJuii.v. 

control  of  the  temtory  of  Ahiska  the  condition 
of  tliese  nati\'es  was  wretched  in  the  extreme, 
flic  Russian  American  Company  having  neglected 
their  welfare  and  f(r»rc<*d  them  into  practical 
sliv\  ery.  Capt.  Bryant,  who  had  an  opportunity 
to  observe  their  condition  prior  to  active  occupa- 
tion of  the  islands  by  the  United  States,  de- 
s('ril)es  and  compares  the  situation  of  the  natives 
under  Russian  manao-ement  and  under  the  system 
iuau«.;urated  by  the  United  States.  His  testi- 
mony on  this  point  is  as  follows: 

"When  I  first  visited  the  seal  islands,  in  1869, 
the  natives  were  living  in  semisul)terranean 
h(  uses  built  of  turf  and  such  pieces  of  driftwood 
and  whalebones  as  they  were  able  to  secure  on 
the  beach.  Their  food  had  been  prior  to  that 
time  insufficient  in  variety  and  was  comprised  of 
seal  meat  and  a  few  other  articles  furnished  in 
meager  quantity  by  the  Russian  Fur  Company. 
They  had  no  fuel  and  depended  for  heat  upon 
tlu'  crowding  together  in  their  turf  houses,  sleep- 
inn'  in  the  dried  grasses  secured  upon  tlic  islantls. 

"Forced  to  live  under  these  conditions,  they 


142 


MANAGEMENT   OF    THE   SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


■m- 


m 

''■M 


Under  the  Ruh- coiild  iiot  of  coui'SG  iiiake  progTesH  toward  oivili- 

Hiun  Cuiuiiiiuy. 

zation.  There  were  no  facilities  tor  transportiiii^ 
skins;  tliey  were  carried  on  the  backs  of  the 
natives,  entailing-  great  labor  and  hardship. 
UiKier Americai.  "Very  soon  after  the  islands  came  into  tho^  uos- 
Hussion  of  the  American  Government  all  tliis  was 
changed.  Their  underground  earthen  lodges 
were  replaced  ])y  warm,  comfortable  wooden  cot- 
tages for  eacii  family;^  fuel,  food,  and  clothing 
were  furnished  them  at  prices  twenty-five  \n'v 
cent  above  the  wholesale  price  of  San  Francisco; 
churches  were  built  and  sciioollu.ases  maintained 
tior  their  beneiit,  and  everything-  d<»ne  that  would 
insure  their  constant  advancement  in  the  wa^• 
of  civilization  and  natural  progress.  Instead  of 
being'  mere  creatures  of  the  whims  of  their  rulers 
tkey  were  placed  on  an  equal  footing  with  white 
men  and  received  by  law  a  stipulated  sum  foi- 
e»cli  skin  taken,  so  that  about  forty  thousand 
dollars  was  annually  divided  among-  the  inhalt- 
itants  of  the  two  islands.  In  place  of  the  skin- 
clad  natives  living-  in  turf  lodges,  which  I  found 
on  aiTiviug  on  the  island  in  18611,  I  left  them  in 
1877  as  well  fed,  as  well  clothed,  and  as  well 


'  See  pLotoKraph,  Vol.  II,  p.  9.5,  showing  VilluKC  of  St.  Paul  in 
1870  and  in  1891 ;  and  plinl-ofjraphs  of  natives,  ^'ol.  II,  pp.  «.  Td, 
liJ3.  Letter  from  (.'hief  Mauajjer  Furuhelni  to  the  iionril  of  Adiiiin- 
iKtratiou  of  the  Russian  American  Company,  dated  Jnly  16,  IStiii; 
Vol.  I,  p.  88. 


lit 


fr.. 


CONDITION   OF    THE    NATIVES. 


143 


i 


lioused  as  the  people  of  some  ol  our  New  Eiiff-    rndirAiuerican 

coutrol. 

liiiid  villages.  They  had  school  facilities,  and 
(»ii  Sunday  they  went  to  service  in  their  pretty 
Gi?ek  church,  with  its  tastefully  arranged  inte- 
rior; they  wore  the  clothing  of  civilized  men  and 
liad  polish  on  their  boots.  All  these  results  are 
directly  traceable  to  the  seal  fisheries  and  their 
improved  management."^ 

In  this  conn)arison  of  condition  and  in  the  i«"provomeut. 
marked  improvement  following  the  American 
(iccupatiou.  Dr.  H.  H.  Mclntyre  also  gives  a 
•Graphic  account,  which  is  substantially  the  same 
as  the  one  above  quoted.'-  Mr.  Samuel  Falconer, 
who  reached  the  islands  in  1870,  and  remained 
until  1877,  gives  an  account  of  the  condition  in 
wliicli  he  found  the  natives  and  the  great  change 
which  took  place  while  he  was  located  at  the 
ishiuds.  He  says:  "When  I  came  there  they 
were  {)artially  dressed  in  skins,  living  in  filthy, 
unwholesome  turf  huts,  which  were  heated  by 
tires  with  blubber  as  fuel ;  they  were  ignorant  and 
extremely  dirty.  When  I  left  they  had  exchanged 
their  skin  garments  for  well-made,  warm  woolen 
clothes;  they  lived  in  substantial  frame  houses 
heateil  by  coal  stoves;  they  had  become  cleanly, 
and  the   children   were  attending   scluud    eight 

»  Vol,  II,  p.  8. 
'Vol.  II  p.  599. 


;tellft::;:i-^''* 


»t'*i:^ 


■fi'^lt: 


rw 


m- 


.ssptii, 


'W^'„ 


l>    ! 


M 


'*#«., 


144 


MANAGEMENT    OF   THE    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


improvemeut.  nioiitlis  <)t"  the  year.*  They  were  then  as  well  ofi' 
as  well-to-<l()  workiii<^ineii  in  the  (Jnitetl  States, 
but  received  much  larger  wag-es.  No  man  was 
compelled  to  work,  but  received  pay  through  his 
chief  for  the  work  accomplished  by  him.  A  na- 
tive could  at  any  time  leave  the  islands,  but  their 
easy  life  and  love  for  their  home  detained  them. 
When  I  first  went  tliere  (1870)  the  women  did  a 
good  share  of  manual  labor,  but  when  1  came 
away  (1877)  the  hard  work  was  done  by  the 
men.  I  do  not  recall  a  single  instance  in  history 
where  there  has  l)een  such  a  marked  change  for 
the  better  by  any  people  in  such  a  short  time  as 
there  has  been  in  the  Pribilof  Islanders  since  tlic 
United  States  Government  took  control  of  these 
islands."'-^  Evidence  njight  be  multiplied  on  this 
point,  but  theforegoingtestimony  of  eye-witnesses 
of  the  relative  conditions  of  the  natives  under  the 
Russian  Company  and  again  under  that  of  the 
American  Government  is  sufficient  to  show  that 
the  management  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  by  the 
United  States  has  raised  the  inhabitants  in  a  few 
years  from  a  state  of  ignorance,  wretchedness, 
and  semibarbarism,  which  seventy  years  of  the 
Russian  Company's  occupation  had  failed  to 
alleviate,  to  a  condition  of  liberty  and  civilizu- 


'Sec  photograph  of  school,  Vol.  II,  ])p.  9, 163. 
2  Vol.  II,  p.  162. 


AMERICAN    MANAGP:MKNT. 


145 


tioii,  which  Europe  and  America  need  not  feel    improvciiKnt. 
ashamed  to  find  among  tlieir  citizens.* 

The  civil  g'o\x'niment  of  tlie  islands  is  provided  « <>  v o  r «  m c  u  t 
for  by  sections  1973-11)76  of  the  Revised  Stat-"*'""*'' 
utes  of  the  United  States/  under  wliich  the  agent 
an<l  his  assistants  are  practically  the  governors 
of  the  islands.  They  have  the  entire  control  of 
the  natives,  protect  them  from  the  impositions  of 
the  lessees'  agents,  if  sudi  are  attempted,  and 
see  that  the  supplies  required  Ijy  law  for  their 
sustenance  are  provided.  The  handling  of  the 
seals  on  the  islands,  being  entirely  done  by  the 
natives,  is  directly  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Government  agents. 

With  the  expiration  of  the  Alaska  Connnercial  i^oasc  of  isoo. 
Company's  lease  the  United  States  Treasury  De- 
partment again  advertised  for  and  received  ten 
formal  bids,  which  were  carefully  considered, 
and  in  1890  the  Government  leased  the  seal 
islands  for  another  period  of  twenty  years  to  the 
l)resent  lessees.  The  North  American  Connner- 
cial Company,  which  was  decided  to  be  the 
most  advantageous  bidder  for  the  Government. 


*  N.  B.— It  should  l»t<  observed  that  tlio  amdiivitH  of  uatives  on 
llir  l'ril»ilof  Isliuids  are  sinn.Ml  by  them,  and  thatthoy  have  not 
siiiiid.v ''made  their  croHH,"  as  woiiM  be  the  method  employed  by 
many  citizcnM  of  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world. 

'  Vol.  I,  p.  98. 
2716 19 


§§B^ 


146 


MANAGEMENT    OF    THE    SEAL    KOOKEHIES, 


Coin]>ari!!)on 
Icaaea. 


m^ 


m.m 


m' 


m. 


;lt.'-i?r 


of  An  exaininaiiou  of  tlie  lease  now  in  force  will 
show  that  it  is  not  only  more  favorable  to  the 
Government,  but  also  to  the  inhabitants  of  tlio 
islands  than  the  former  lease^  in  the  foUovvinj'- 
respects:  (1)  The  rental  is  860,000,  instead  of 
$55,000;  (2)  the  tax  per  skin  is  $9.62|,  instead 
of  82.62.^;  (3)  80  tons  of  coal  are  to  be  fur- 
nished the  natives,  instead  of  60  cords  of  wood; 
(4)  the  quantity  of  salmon,  salt,  and  other  pro- 
visions to  be  furnished  to  them  can  be  fixed  b\' 
the  Secretar)'  of  the  Treasury;  (5)  the  comi)an}- 
is  to  furnish  to  tlie  natives  free  dwellings,  a 
church,  pii}'sicians,  medicines,  employment,  and 
care  for  the  sick,  aged,  widows,  and  children;  (6) 
instead  of  100,000  seals  per  year,  the  company 
can  take  only  60,000  during  the  first  year  of  the 
lease,  and  thereafter  the  catch  is  to  be  subject  to 
the  regulations  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
Under  this  lease  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the 
United  States  could  have  a  more  complete  con- 
trol over  the  seal  industry  on  the  islands,  even 
if  it  took  the  entire  management  of  the  business. 
Leasing  under  such  terms  gives  the  Government 
absolute  power  in  fixing  the  (piota  according  to 
the  condition  of  the  herd,  and  at  the  same  time 
avoids  the  details  of  management  and  disposing 

>  Luu8u  to  Nui'tU  Aiiiuriviiii  Comiuerciitl  Company ;  Vol.  I,  p.  106. 


THE    SEALS. 


147 


y;  Vol.  I,  p.  106. 


of  tlie  skins,  vvliicli  are  the  especial  difficulties  in    f'«""pi'iison   of 
tlio  way  of  the  United  States  working-  the  rook- 
eries itself.     The  coui-se  ihus  adopted  by  the 
United  States  seems  as   free  from  criticism  or 
improvement  as  any  that  can  be  suggested.^ 

THE    SEALS. 

HavinjT  reviewed  the  general  manag-ement  of 
the  Pribilof  Islands  as  it  pertains  to  the  United 
States  Government  and  the  native  islanders,  the 
next  point  for  consideration  is  the  management 
of  the  seal  herd,  tiie  methods  employed  in  taking- 
the  seals,  and  the  results  of  these  practices  upon 
the  number  and  condition  of  the  herd. 

The  peculiar  nature  and  fixed  habits  of  the    f"«>"ti<>i  nn.i  .io- 

,  ,       .  .  mcsticatiou. 

seal  make  it  an  annual  most  easy  of  control  and 
inanaj^ement.  A  herd  of  seals  is  as  capable  of 
Iteing  driven,  separated,  and  counted  as  a  herd 
of  cattle  on  the  plains.^  In  fact,  they  much 
resemble  these  latter  in  the  timidity  of  the 
females  and  the  ferocity  of  the  males.  One 
example  of  the  ease  with  which  they  can  be 
controlled  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Falconer,  who 
sjteaks  of  a  herd  of  three  thousand  bachelor 
seals  being-  left  in  charge  of  a  boy  after  they 

'  SccJiisoriibl.i  criticisiii  of  the  iiietliods  employed  in  ''Haiiaijook 
of  till' Eislies  of  New  Zealaiid,"  iiiine  235. 

'  H.  N.  Clark,  Vol.  II,  p.  159;  "  llaii.lbook  of  the  Fishes  of  New 
Zealrtiiil,"  page  235. 


IHflM 


148 


MANAGEMENT    OP    THE    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


H^. 


m^' 


mi- 


m?:- 


:^:h 


Control  ami  do  had  beoii  drivGU  a  short  distance  from  tlio  hauliiif? 

luetitiuiitiuu. 

gi'oiinds.'  Mr.  Henry  N.  Chirk,  who  was  for  six 
years  (1884-1889)  in  the  emph>y  of  the  Ahiska 
Connnercial  Coni})any  and  in  cluirge  of  tlic 
"sealino-  gang-"  on  St.  George  IsLind,  and  wlin 
is  therefore  especially  competent  to  speak  of  the 
possibilities  of  driving*  and  handling  the  seals, 
says:  "I  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  have  been 
familiar  from  boyhood  with  the  breeding  of 
domestic;  animals,  and  |)Jirticularly  with  the  rear- 
ing and  management  of  young  animals,  hence 
the  comparison  of  the  young  seals  with  the 
young  of  our  common  domestic  species  is  most 
natural  From  my  experience  with  both  I  am 
able  to  declare  positively  that  it  is  easier  to 
manage  and  handle  young  seals  than  calves 
or  land)s.-  Large  numbers  of  the  former  are 
customarily  driven  up  in  the  fall  by  the  natives 
to  kill  a  certain  number  for  food,  and  all  could 
be  'rounded  up'  as  the  ])rairie  cattle  are  if  there 
was  any  need  for  doing  so.^  All  the  herd  so 
driven  are  lifted  up  one  by  one  and  examined 
as  to  sex,  and  while  in  this  position  each  could 
be  lu'anded  or  marked  if  necessary.     If  the  seal 

'  Vol.  II,  11.  162.     Se*  itlfto  .J.  C.  Rc.lputh,  Vol.  II,  p.  152. 
»  See  iilso  .lohii  Fiiitin,  X'ol.  II,  i».  109. 
>  See  ul«u  Watsuu  C.  Allia,  Vol.  II,  p.  98. 


THE   SEALS. 


149 


rookeries  were  my  personal  liroijerty  I  should  Control  ana  ao- 
regard  the  task  of  branding  all  the  young-  as  no 
more  difficult  or  onerous  than  the  branding  of 
all  my  calves  if  I  were  engaged  in  breeding 
cattle  upon  the  prairies."*  The  foregoing  state- 
ment as  to  the  possibility  of  branding  the  young 
seals  is  supported  by  others  equally  experienced 
in  seal  life  in  the  islands.^  Dr.  IVIcIntyre,  so 
long  experienced  in  the  handling  of  seals,  says 
that  "they  are  as  controllable  and  amenable  to 
good  management  upon  the  islands  as  sheep  and 
cattle,"*  and  several  other  witnesses  make  like 
affirmations.*  Chief  Anton  Melovedoff,  already 
mentioned,  states  that  "it  is  usually  supposed 
that  seals  are  like  wild  animals.  That  is  not  so. 
They  are  used  to  the  natives  and  will  not  nm 
from  them.  The  little  pups  will  come  to  them, 
and  even  in  the  fall,  when  they  are  older,  we 
can  take  them  up  in  our  hands  and  see  whether 
they  are  males  or  females.  We  can  drive  the 
seals  about  in  little  or  large  bands  just  as  wo 
want  them  to  go,  and  they  are  easy  to  manage."^ 

I  Vol.  II,  p.  159. 

-Cliiirles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  5;  S.  M.  Wasliburn,  Vol.  II,  p.  150; 
H.  v.  Fletclier,  Vol.  II,  p.  105;  Cieorge  H.  Temple,  Vol.  II,  p.  153. 

'Vol.11,  p.  53. 

^J.  M.  Morion,  Vol.  II,  p.  09;  Leon  Sloss,  Vol.  II,  p.  91;  H.  V. 
Fletcher,  Vol.  II,  p.  100;  (jleorge  H.  Tenijile,  Vol.  II,  p.  l.'SS;  (ius- 
tiivu  N'iebuinn,  Vol.  II,  p.  77;  Johu  Ariustroug,  Vol.  II,  p.  2. 
Vol.  II,  p.  145. 


mim^- 


150 


MANAGKMHNT    OF    THK    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 


%i 


f 


ISiSi. 


ilil 


i: 


Control  niMi  do  Sevonil  other  Pribilot'  islanders  ami  wliite  men 

uic'sti<atioii. 

lon^'  resident  there  make  similar  statements.' 

This  peculiar  susceptibility  to  control  has  also 
been  and  is  reco<rnized  by  such  a  well-known 
scientist  as  Dr.  E.  von  Middendortt",  of  Russia, 
who,  in  a  letter  dated  May  6/18,  1892,  says: 
"This  animal  is  of  connnercial  importance  and 
was  created  for  a  domestic  animal,  as  I  pointed 
out  many  years  ago.  (See  my  'Hiberian  Jour- 
ney,' Vol.  IV,  Part  I,  p.  SAG.)  It  is,  in  fact,  the 
most  useful  of  all  domestic  aniinals,  since  it  re- 
quires no  care  and  no  expense  and  conseqiientlv 
yields  the  largest  net  profit."'"' 

RpRiiiatioim  lor  '^Phis  oower  of  doiuesticatiou  K.is  m.ade  it  nos- 
sible  to  di.scriminate  most  carefully  between  the 
classes  of  seals  killed  an<l  to  enforce  rules  and 
regulations  for  the  general  managenuMit  of  the 
herd.  Rear-Admiral  Sir  M.  Culver-Seymour,  in 
a  dispatch  to  the  Briti.sh  Admiralty,  says:  "The 
seals  killed  by  the  Alaska  Commercial  Companv 
are  all  clubbed  on  land,  where  the  differeiu'e  of 
sex  can  easily  be  seen."'' 

Protection  of  The  first  regulation  enforced  by  the  Govern- 
ment  of  the  United  States  was  that  no  female 


'.John  Fratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  109;  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II, p.  182;  .1. 
C.  Kidpatli,  Vol.  II,  p.  152;  Simeon  Melovodoll',  Vol,  II,  p.  147. 
^Ltttir  of  Ur.  E.  von  MiddendortT,  Vol.  I,  p.  4:31. 
'  British  Blue  Book,  U.  S.  No.  2  (1890),  C-6131,  p.  4. 


■a;  J I 


THK    SKAL8. 


151 


seals  should  be  killed'     Capt.  Moulton,  for  ei«flit    Protection  of 
years  assistant   Ireasury  ajrent  on  the  islands, 
says:  "No  female  is  ever  killed,  and  it  is  very 
seldom  a  female  is  driven." "     Samuel   Falconer 
assistant  Treasury  a<rent  on    the   islands    from 
1S70  to  1876,  states  that  not  more    than    two 
female  seals  a  season  were  driven  on  St.  Cieor«''o 
Island,  and  that  he  believed  those  wej-e  barren 
cows  which  had  hauled  up  with  the  bachelors.' 
If  a  female  seal  was  killed  either  intentionally  or 
accidentally,  the  employ d  was  fined.^    This  rej»-u- 
lation  preserves  the  producing  sex,  is  not  only 
observed  by  the  native  sealei-s  on  the   Pribil(>f 
Islands,  but  the  need    of   strictly    conforming 
thereto  is  fully  realized  as  a  means  of  preservation 
of  the  species.     Karp  Buterin,  the  chief  of  the 
natives  on  St.  Paul  Island,  who  was  born  on  the 
islands,  and  is  the  most  intelligent  of  the  natives,* 
says:  "I  know,  and  we  all  know,  if  we  kill  cows 
the  seals  soon  die  out  and  we  would  have  no  meat 
to  eat;  and  if  anyone  told  me  to  kill  cows  I  would 
.say  no!     If  I  or  any  of  my  people  knew  of  any- 
one  killing  a  cow,   we  would  go  and  tell  the 

'  Louis  Kiniiuel,  Vol.  II,  p.  173;  George  Wardmaii,  Vol.  II,  p.  178; 
H.  G.  Otis,  Vol.  II,  p.  86;  Anton  Melovcdoft',  Vol.  II,  p.  142. 

■Vol.  II,  p.  72;  Danii^l  Webstor,  Vol.  II,  p.  181. 
.1.  C.  Re.lpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  149. 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  162. 

Unton  Melovcdoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  139. 

•Milton  Barnes,  Vol.  II,  p.  102. 


s»m-J>«f, 


'■•?¥■' 


m: 


Ifii"-.,: 


'iFvi' 


Sl'l^' 


A\ 


152 


MANAfSKMKNT    OF    THE    SKAL    ItOOKKlilES. 


The    killiible 
class. 


I'rotoction  ()i(}(»verniiiciit  ofHcer."'     And  Mr.  C.  L.  Fowler, 

folUUluH. 

who  lias  been  employed  on  the  Lslands  since  1870, 
says  that  nothing  offends  the  natives  quicker  tlian 
to  have  a  female  killed.^  With  the  cofiperation 
of  tlie  natives,  who  alone  do  tlio  driving  and  kill- 
ing, violation  of  this  regulation  is  impossible. 
Another  evidence  of  the  strictness  with  which 
this  rule  is  enforced  is  the  testimony  of  furriers 
to  the  fact  that  the  skins  of  female  seals  are  never 
seen  among  those  taken  on  the  Pribilof  Islands.'^ 
The  class  of  seals  allowed  to  be  killed  are  the 
nonbreeding  males  from  one  to  iive  years  of 
age  which  "haul  out  upon  the  hauling  grounds 
remote  from  the  breeding  grounds."*  The 
handling  of  this  class  of  seals  because  of  their 
separation  from  the  "breeders"  causes  the  least 
possible  disturbance  to  the  seals  on  the  breeding 
grounds.® 
Disturbance  of     Besides   this   the   most   stringent  rules   have 

breediu^;  seals.  n  ->    i  i        r^ 

been  and  are  enforced  by  the  Government  to 
prevent  any  disturbance  of  the  breeding  seals." 
Capt.   W.   C-   Coulson,    of    the    United   States 

»  Vol.  II,  p.  103. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  L'5. 

»  G.  C.  Laiiipsoii,  Vol.  II,  p.  565.  See  also  favorable  comment  on 
tbe  wisdom  of  tbis  regulation  in  "Handbook  of  tbe  Fisheries  of 
New  Zealand,"  p.  23(5. 

♦J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  62. 

»  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16;  DanielWebster,  Vol.  II,  p.  183. 

•Cbarles  Bryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  8;  S.  N.  Buyuitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  22. 


!  .\i 


TIIK    SKALS. 


153 


IJcvciiiie  Maniio  Scnico,  who  visited  the  IsImihIs    Distmimiud  of 

,  »  11         .  Illffllillg  Nl'tlls. 

ill  IHIK)  and  IHIII,  says:  "All  hrearms  were 
toiWiddeii  and  never  liave  l»een  nsed  on  these 
isliinds  in  the  killing  and  taking  of  seals;  in  fact, 
iimisual  noise,  even  on  tlie  ships  at  anchor  near 
these  islands,  is  avoide'l.  Visiting  the  rookeries 
is  not  j)erniitted  only  on  certahi  conditions,  and 
!lu^  thing  that  might  frightct  the  seals  is  avoided. 
Tlie  seals  are  never  killed  in  or  near  the  n)ok- 
(lies,  hut  are  driven  a  short  distance  inland  to 
grounds  especially  set  apart  for  this  work.  I  do 
iKtt  see  how  it  is  possihle  to  contUict  tlie  sealing 
process  with  greater  care  or  judgment."'  Fire- 
jinns  are  not  permitted  to  be  used  on  the  islands 
from  the  time  the  first  seal  lands  until  the  close 
of  the  season.^ 

The  number  of  seals  allowed  to  be  kille<l  Number  killed, 
iiimually  by  the  lessees  was,  from  1871  to  188!) 
inclusive,  one  hundred  thousand,"  but  this  num- 
l)er  is  variable  and  entirely  witliin  the  control  of 
the  Treasury  I  )e[)artment  ot  the  United  States.* 
In  isr^l)  Charles  J.  Goft",  then  the  Government 
agent  on  the  islands,  reported  to  the  De})artment 
that  he  considered    it  necessary  to  reduce   the 


'  Vol.  II,  p.  414. 

■'  J.  V.  Kertpatli,  Vol.  II,  p.  150. 

'  .1.  Stinilcy  Brown,  \'.)1.  II,  p.  18;  H.  G.  Otis,  Vol.  II,  p.  85. 
*  J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  16. 
2710 20 


..'feci' 


154 


MANACiKMKNT    OK    THK    SHAh    KOOKKKIKS. 


K^S 


m 


W'r 


[11 

'i  ;  i                      '. 

-■..,yn 

j^>^; 

;...J,., 

. 

^     .    h 

i  .            '■■"I 

Pi' 


rr 


iiii 


1:"! 


Numborkilled.  (|ll«>ta  of  skills  to  1)0  takcii  illlHlJO.'  'Pile  Gov- 
crnineut  at  oik^o  roduciHl  tlio  nuinbci*  tt»  sixty 
tliousand  aiul  ordered  tlu!  kilHn;jf  of"  seals  toceas.- 
on  July  20.'  The  20tli  of  July  was  fixed  upon 
because  in  fonnor  years  the  takinj^  of  seals  had 
practically  ceased  at  that  time,  the  breeding- 
grounds  and  hauling-  {'•rounds  being-  \i\)  to  that 
time  entirely  distinct  and  separate,  and  because 
during  the  period  from  June  1  to  July  20  the 
skins  were  in  the  nutst  marketable  condition.^ 
The  killing-  of  a  portion  of  the  surplus  male  life 
is  undoubtedly  a  benefit  to  tluj  herd,  as  it  iswitli 
other  domestic  and  polygamous  animals.  For  it 
haw  alwa>'s  been  found  that  siu'h  an  act  increases 
the  number  of  the  prog-eny.'  The  American 
Commissioners  also  demonstrate  by  the  diagrams 
attached  to  their  report,  vvhitih  are  explained  in 
the  body  of  the  document,  that  a  large  portion  of 
the  young  male  seals  can  be  killed  without  reduce 
ing  or  affecting  the  normal  birth  rate.*  The 
United  States  Government  formerly  allowed  the 
natives  to  kill  a  few  thousand  male  pups  for 
food,  but  such  killing  has  been  prohibited.^ 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  112. 

«  H.  G.  Otis,  Vol.  11,  p.  86. 

'Leon  8I088,  Vol.  II,  p.  92;  GiiHtave  Niebniim,  Vol.  II,  p.  77; 
J.  C.  Uedpiitli,  Vol.  II,  p.  152. 

■•  Report  of  \meri('!!U  Horiujj  Sea  C'oinniisHioiiers.  pout,  p.  356. 

•.I.  Stanley  Blown,  Vol.  II,  p.  18;  see  Regulations,  Vol.  I,  ]>• 
103. 


ri!"i  1, 1 


TIIK    SKALS. 


155 


Vol.  II,  p.  77; 


Tlie  maimer  of  takini^  Meiiln  on  tlie  islands  is  Mimncr  of  uk- 
condv.ctetl  with  tlu*  ^^'fatest  care  and  jn'ceaii- 
tions'  and  is  direftly  under  tiio  supervision  of  tlio 
Government  a^^'ents."  Tlie  metliods  omploytMl 
have  been  the  same  for  twenty  years,'  without 
variation/  and  it  is  the  universal  testimony  of 
all  a('(iuaiuted  with  the  methods  emjiloyed  that 
they  ean  not  be  improved  uj)on.''  The  natives, 
who  are  the  only  persons  who  ever  drive  or 
JiMudle  the  seals,"  start  out  between  2  and  G 
o'clock  in  the  morninj»'  when  the  weather  is  cool 
and  there  is  the  least  liability  of  overheating-  the 
seals;"  separatin<4'  a  small  herd  of  bachelors  from 
those  occupying-  a  hauling  grouiul  they  <lrive 
them  inland.*'  A  hauling  ground  after  a  drive  is 
o'iven  several  days  of  rest  and  as  a  seal  let  go 
from  the  killing  grounds  always  retm'us  to  the 
same  hauling  grounds,  it  has  plenty  of  time  to 
recuperate  before  being  driven  again." 

The  herd  is  then  driven  as  slowly  as  possible    Driving, 
while  still  keeping  the  animals  in  motion.'     Ag- 

I  Charles  Hryant,  Vol.  II,  p.  8;  M.  C.  Erskine,  Vol.  II,  p.  422;  W. 
C.  C'oulson,  Vol.  II,  p.  41 

•  n.  V.  .Scribiier,  Vol.  II.  }».  89;. I.  H.  Moiilt«»u,  Vol.  II,  p.  72. 
'  \V.  S.  H<ri-ford,  Vol.  II,  p.  3«. 

'  11.  H.  Mclutj  If,  Vol.  II,  ]).  45. 

S.  Falconer,  Vol.  II,  p.  161. 
'  W.  C.  Coulaoii,  Vol.  II,  p.  411;  Samuel  Falconer, Vol.  II,  p.  161; 
Siin.'on  Mclavidoft",  Vol.  II,  i>.  209. 
'W.B.Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  176. 
'  S.  X.  Hiiyiiitsky,  Vol.  II,  p.  21. 

•  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p.  182. 


:M 


15()  MS^NAGEMEXT    OP    THK    SEAL    ROOKERIES. 

Diiviug.  jfit'  Kusliiii,  native  priest  on  St.  Pnul  Fslaiu],  Hays: 

"The  H^ils  are  never  driven  at  ;i  jrreatei"  speed 
than  one  mile  in  three  lionrs;  and  the  men  wlm 
do  the  (invinji-  have  to  relieve  each  otlier  <iii 
the  road  i>ecauHe  they  travel  so  slow  thcx 
j;et  verv  i(.id."^  Other  native  seal  drivers  and 
oftieials  on  the  islands  also  speak  of  the  slow- 
ness of  tiu  driAnuig.-  At  suitable  intervals  the 
herd  is  halted  and  seals  of  tlie  uumarketahU^ 
age  are  allowetl  to  separaite  themselves  from 
the  rest  Mid  return  to  the  water. '  Tlie  g-reatc-st 
care  lias  siilTrays  been  takoi  not  to  overheat 
the  animials  rluring  a  "di'ive,"  bwtause  the  etfect 
is  very  iiiiurious.^  Louis  Kiinmel,  assistant 
Treasury  ftjyent  in  1882  and  IH^fo,  says:  "In 
everv  caiHe  of  a  seal  beint>-  killed  on  the  'drive' 
I,  as  <  JoverruiM^nt  ag"ent,  imposed  a  tine  in  order 
tJisit  xiH'v  iiii»::kt  be  more  careful  in  the  future/' 
Fre(pienT  sToj>f-  are  made  to  allow  the  seals  to 
rest  an<l  c(m»1  orf."  A  drive  Is  never  undertaken 
while  the  sun  :s  shinin*;-,'  and  if  the  sun  unex- 
nectedlv  comes  out  the  tlrv\  e  is  inunediatcK  abaii- 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  L29. 

•^  ,1.  c.  itwipiitL,  v.«i.  II,  p.  ino. 

»  ('barlt'8  Hrviiiit.       1.  II,  p.  S. 

•  .Siiimicl  Fal.on.i.     ..1. 11.  p.  102;  J.  II.  Moiilton,  Vol.  II,  p.  71'. 

•  V..1.  II. p.  n;!. 

•  .1.  H.Moultou.  Vol.JI.p.  72. 

'  .].  H.  .Moiiltou.  Vui.  II.  p.  71';  A.   P.  Loud,  Vol.  II,  p. 38;  John 
IVatis,  N  <.l.  11,  p.  107;  Watsi.ii  C.  Allis,  Vol.  11,  p.  97. 


THE    SEALS. 


157 


(loned  and  the  seals  allowed  to  return  to  the  water.^  Di i\  iug. 
Tlie  natives  understand  how  much  fati<rue  can 
be  endured  by  the  seals  and  the  kind  of  weather 
suitable  for  "driving,"^  therefore  the  number  of 
seals  killed  by  ONerdriving-  or  by  .smothering-  was 
very  inconsideralde  at  all  times.^  J.  C.  Red[)ath, 
who  has  since  ISTf)  been  one  of  tlie  lessees' 
agents  on  the  islands,  says:  "As  the  regulations 
recjuin*  the  les'^es  to  pay  for  everv-  skin  taken 
from  seals  killed  by  the  orders  of  their  local 
agents,  and  as  the  skin  of  an  overheated  seal  is 
valueless,  it  is  only  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
tliey  would  be  the  last  men  living  to  encourage 
or  allow  their  employes  to  overdrive  or  in  any 
manner  injure  the  seals. "^  ^Ir.  Wardman  says: 
"Seals  are  rarely  killed  by  overdriving."^  Mr. 
Buynitsky  says  he  never  saw  a  single  seal  killed 
by  overdriving,"  and  Capt.  Moulton  states  that 
"a  very  few  seals  die  during  a  '(h'ive',  amount- 
ing to  a  very  small  fraction  of  one  per  cent  of 
tliose  driven.  And  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  of 
those  accidentally  killed  by  smothering,  the  skins 

I  .Saiiiii.'!  FiilcoiuT,  Vol.  II.  p.  KW;  .J.  H.  Moiiltoii.  Vol.  II,  p.  72; 
li.  F.  .S.iiliiKM-,  \o\.  II.  p.  ilO;  .li.liii  I'liitis,  Vol.  II,  p.  107. 
■  W.C.Coiilsou,  Vol.  II.  p.  lit. 
'  H.H.Mchityie,  Vol.  11,1).  15. 
«  Vol.  Ii,p.  l.->(), 
^  V.)I.1I,  II.  178. 
'■  Vol.  II,  p.  21. 


1,    "v.iT 


fT 


Bl 


Ovordriviiiu;  aisil 
ii'Jriviii}'. 


158  MANAGKMKNT    OF    THE    SEAL    ROOKEUIES. 

Driving.  fvre  saved.'"     TUe  sanu'  stateiiieiit  as  to  tlio  re- 

inu\al  of  the  skins  is  stated  by  others,  tlie  skins 
hein*^-  counted  in  the  quota  allowed  to  the  lessees.- 
In  tact  it  may  be  questioned  wlietlier  any  seals 
are  ever  killed  on  a  ''drive,"  except  now  and 
then  one  by  sniotherinf;-.' 

The  effects  of  overdriving-  and  rechM^'in*-'  (tliat 
is,  the  re])eated  <lriving-  of  the  same  animal 
several  times  during-  the  season)  u[)on  the  seals 
which  from  aye  or  condition  are  unfit  for  killing, 
is  of  little  or  no  importance  in  relation  to  seal 
life  on  the  islands.  After  a  "drive"  the  h;>nlina' 
ground  is  unmolested  for  several  days  and  the 
seals  let  go  from  the  killing  groimds,  retui-ning 
to  the  same  hauling  grounds  as  is  '^u^y  habit, 
ha\(',  tlierefore,  several  days  to  rest  .aid  recu- 
perate Ijefore  undergoing  whatever  extra  exertion 
is  connected  with  being  dri\en.^  Certainly  no 
male  seal  thus  driven  was  ever  seriously  injured 
or  his  virilitv  atl'ecteil  1)\-  such  redrivin <>•.-'  Mr. 
John  Armstrong,  who  from  1877  to  18.s(!  was 
the  lessees'  agent  on  St.  Paul  Island,  savs:  "The 
dri\ing  gave    them,  with   rare   exceptions,  very 

'  Vol.  11.11.72.     Sf.'iilso  A.  IM...ii(l,\'..l.  II.  i>.  :W. 

'  (iforj^c  Wiiiilniiiii.  N'ol.  II,  (i.  ITS;  Suiiiiit'i  l''aI<'om'r,  Vol.  II, 
p.  ItiL';  .lolm  Fratis.  \<(l.  II,  i..  107. 

'  .loliii  Frill !,•*,  Vol,  II,  |i.  107. 

<  Daniel  Wel.ster,  Vol.  II,  ]>.  182. 

"A.  V.  Loud,  Vol.  II,  ]>.  ;{8;  Cliarles  I'ryant  Vol.  II,  p.  S; 
ncoijro  Wimlmaii,  Vol.  11,  p.  179;  Daiil.l  Wel.slir,  Vol.  !l,  p.  IS'.'. 


THE    SKALS. 


159 


little  iiioi'o  exercise  than  they  sii)))eMre(l  to  take    Ovcnhivingiina 

rt'driviiig. 

when  left  to  themselves."^  Anton  Melovedotl', 
;ui  edueated  native  of  St.  Paul  Island,  and  for 
seven  years  Fir.*?t  Chief  on  the  island,  after  stating 
the  fact  that  l)efore  the  American  occnjwtion  the 
seals  were  driven  sometimes  twelve  and  one-half 
miles,  says,  "  No  one  ever  said  in  those  da^•s  that 
seals  were  made  ini])otent  by  driving-,  although 
loii^-  drives  had  been  made  for  at  least  fifty 
years."'"^  j\Ir.  Sanniel  Fah'oner,  in  speakinji-  <>f 
this  questiim  of  redrivinji^,  says :  "  When  we  con- 
sider that  the  bulls,  while  battli)igon  the  rooker- 
ies to  maintain  their  })ositions.  cut  great  jrashes 
in  the  tiesh  of  their  necks  and  bodies,  are  covered 
with  j^apiiif,"  wounds,  lose  great  quantities  oi 
blood,  fast  on  the  islands  for  three  or  four  months, 
and  then  leave  the  islands,  lean  and  covered  with 
scars,  to  return  the  folloAvinjr  season  fat,  healthy, 
and  full  of  vigor  to  go  through  again  the  same 
mutilation,  and  repeating  this  year  after  yeai-,  the 
idea  that  driving  or  redri\ing,  which  can  not 
possibly  be  as  severe  as  their  exej-tions  during 
a  combat,   can    atiect    such  uneciual   \iii'or    and 


"3 


virility  is  utterly  })reposterous  and  ridiculouc 
Capt.  Moulton,  after  eight  years'  experience  on  the 

'Vol.11,  p.  1. 

'V..1.  II.  p.  142. 

'  Vol.  II,  i».  162.     Seo  also  Daniel  Wcl.stpr,  Vol.  II,  p.  183. 


!(•>() 


Ovcnlriv 
ifdriviug. 


MANACEMKNT    (IF    THK    SEAL    UOOKERIKS. 

iiigami  islands,  states  it  as  liis  ()|)iiii()n  that  even  if  a  seal 
was  (Iviveu  twelve  successi\'e  days  for  the  aver- 
a;;e  distance  between  a  haulinj^  j^round  and  a  kil- 
linj^-  j^nmnd,  its  virility  would  not  be  at  all 
inij)aired.^  Mr.  ^^lylor  says  in  relation  to  injury 
to  the  reproductive  powers  of  the  male  seals  "it 
would  at  once  be  noticeable,  for  the  impotent 
bull  would  certaiidy  haul  up  with  the  bachelors, 
havinji^  no  inclination  and  vigor  to  maintain  him- 
self on  the  rookeries."^  The  same  methods  of 
driving- are  employed  on  the  Commander  Islands, 
and  the  rookeries  are  smaller,  necessitating-  more 
redrivinj^  and  the  drive  on  Copper  Island  takes 
often  a  day  g"oinj^  over  a  ridg-e  seven  hundred  feet 
high;  and  yet  this  <lriving",  so  much  more  severe 

than  on  the  Pribilof  I.>5lands,  has  been  carried  on 

ajici 
for  over  fifty  years^  is  sufficient  evidence  that 

redriving  does  not  injure  the  reproductive  force 

of  the  male  seal.^     All  the  drives  on  the  Com- 

jnandei"  IshuKls  a^e  rougher  and  more  severe  than 

on  the  PribiHof  Islands.^     That  this  injury  to  the 

male  portion  of   the  herd  has   not   occurred  is 

evidenced   by  the  testimony  of  many  on   the 

islands  in  later  years,'  and  Mr.  Kedpath,  resident 

~~n/ol.  II,  p.  72. 

»V()1.  !I,  p.  177. 

'C.  K.  Eiiiil  Krelis,  V(.l.  II,  p.lSW. 

<N.  H.  Mill.T,  Vol.  II,  p.  20(). 

Ml.  H.  M<-h\t.vre,  Vol.  Jl,  p.  4.5;  J.  Stanley  Riowii.  Vol.  II,  p.  1^: 
Daniel  W.'lmter,  Vol.  II,  p.  182;  J.  C.  Kedpath,  Vol.  II,  p.  151;  < 
L.  Fowler,  \o\.  II,  p.  25, 


THK    SEALS. 


161 


(itv  seventeen  voars  on  the  isliinds-fuLls:  "'I'lie  ov.r.iiiviii^r.,„(i 
iiKin  is  not  }»li\e  who  ever  saw  a  six  or  seven 
vcar  oltl  bull  impotent."'  'Hie  killinjr  yronnds 
iiic  located  near  tlie  water,  so  tliat  tliose  seals 
wlmse  skins  are  nninarketal»h»  can  readiK  and 
v.ith  little  exertion  return  to  that  element;  they 
are  also  e.stabKshed  as  near  the  haulin^'  grounds 
as  is  possilde  without  having-  the  odor  from  the 
carcasses  disturb  the  breeding'  seals.-  It"  it  were 
not  for  tins  unavoi(hd)le  cause  of  disturbance 
attendant  upon  tlie  killing  and  skinning  of  the 
auinials,  driving-  in  any  form  would  not  bo 
necessary,  but  as  it  is,  the  killing-  mi'st  take  place 
at  some  distance  from  the  hauling  and  breeding 
•jl'rounds,  which  compels  a  certain  amount  of 
driving. 
The  ijnprovement  over  the  Russian  methods  is    ii>'pi<>v.MiH'iit 

1  over  i;ii'>->iaii  iiii'th- 

marked  in  this  particular,  for  in  1873''  horses  and'"*'^  ..i  takin-. 
mules  were  introduced  by  the  lessees  to  transi)ort 
the  skins  to  the  salt  houses,  previous  to  which 
time  all  this  labor  had  been  done  by  the  natives, 
who  were  the  sole  beasts  of  burden  on  the 
islands:^  and,  therefore,  the  killing-  gi-ounds  were 
]iii;ited  nnu'h  nearer  to  the  haiiliny  grounds  than 


\  ol.  II,  p.  151. 

.1.  II.  Moiiltoii.   \(>1.  11,  \>.  72:   )>inii<'l  Wcli-lci.   XiA.   II.  ii.  183. 
'Cliiirlt's  lin-iitit.  \(il.  II.  i>.  s. 

'  l.citiT  tVcini  Chi«r  .Miiniitfi  T  I'liiiiliclni  to  l  li.'  IiumhI  ol  Admin  is. 
tiMliou  ((!'  ihc   Uiissiuii  .ViiiciiiMii    ('iiiii]i;in>  .  il:il<'il    .liil\     111.   ISIl:;. 

27it) 21 


r  ^s 


:-*.r- 


(  nV 


h  .HIS- 


m 


%< 


f-fJk 


w 


^\''i^- 


1(12 


MANA(ii;Mi:N  r   of    TIIK   SHAK    UOOKKRIKS. 


iiii|ii<iv<'iiM'iit l)C'fore    this    niejuis  of    traiisportfitioii  was   pi-d- 

ovi  rli'ii->i:ii;  iiictli- 

(Mts  <>l  taking.  \  i(lt'(l.'         AlltOll    Mc'lovodort'    stiltcs    that     "ill    tile 

liussian  times,  beU>re  l.SOS,  the  seals  were  ah\  ays 
driven  across  the  ishmd  ot"  St.  Paid  t"n»ni  NOnli 
East  ]^>int  (tlie  hii'j^j-est  of  tlie  rookeries)  to  the 
village  salt  house,  a  distance  of  twelve  and  oik- 
lialf  miles,  hut  when  the  Alaska  ( 'onnncrcinl 
Company  leas(«d  the  islands  tht^y  stopped  lonu 
dri\  in^'  and  built  salt  houses  near  to  tlie  hauliiiu 
grounds,  so  that  by  1S7!>  no  seals  were  dri\(  ii 
more  than  two  miles."'"  Other  natives  who  were 
on  the  islands  nnder  both  American  and  liussian 
control  also  speak  of  the  shortenino-  of  the  drives 
by  the  Atnerican  lessees.^  Under  these  improM- 
ments  the  killing'  season  Avas  reduced  from  three 
or  four  months  under  the  Knssian  occnj)ation  to 
thirty  or  forty  days,*  showing-  how  mucli  Anieii- 
can  management  has  facilitated  the  taking'  of 
seals  and  reduced  the  number  of  davs  of  disturli- 
ance  to  the  herd.  Kerrick  Artomanoff,  a  native 
born  on  St.  Paul  Island  sixty-seven  years  auo, 
and  who  has  driven  seals  for  fifty  years  and  \v;is 
chief  for  seventeen  years,  says:   "The  methods 

'.J.  IF.  MouUon,  Vol.  II.  j..  72;  Cliailes  r.i.v.iiil,  Vol.  II,  \>.  H; 
H.  n.  Moliityre,  Vol.  II,  i).  4,".. 

"Vol.  II.  p.  14-'. 

•Wfl-iii'  Kn.sliiii,  Vol.  II,  p.  lL'!t;  Karji  lintiiiii.  Vol.  II.  ]i.  I'M: 
Daiiii'l  Wchsl.T.  Vol.  II.  )).  ISL';  .J.  C.  l{cil|ialli.  Vol.  II,  p.  l."'ii; 
Kerrick  AitomanolV.  \«>1.  II,  p.  !i!l. 

M.  Stiiiil(\v  Urowii,  Vol.  II,  p.  18. 


lift.,' 


.lift 


THE    SEALS. 


1G3 


and 


lurd  ])v  tlie  Alaska  Coniiuercial  Company  and    improvotiHiit 
tlic  American  Government  for  the  care  and  prcs-"^''*"'  tii'^'ny- 
( r\  Mtion  of  the  seals  were  nmch  better  than  those 
iiscil  by  the  Russian  Government."^ 

When  a  "drive"  arrives  at  the  killing  g-ronnds  Killing, 
tlic  animals  are  allowed  to  rest  and  cool  off;  then 
tIkv  are  divided  into  groups  or  "pods"  of  from 
Twenty  to  thirty;'  the  killable  seals  are  carefully 
si'lcctod,  those  of  three  and  four  years  being  pre- 
tcii'cil; '  the  killing  gang  then  club  those  selected, 
;ill(i\viiig  the  remainder  to  return  to  the  water. 

The  skins  are  removed   from  the   carcasses,.  Saltinj 

kciiiLiiiy. 

cnimted  by  the  Government  agent,  salted  and 
packed  in  "kenches"  at  the  salt  houses.  The 
t1">h  (»f  the  seals  is  taken  by  the  natives  for 

f(M.(l/ 

I  uder  the  Russian  management  many  skins 
were  lost  through  the  drying  process,  and  also 
tidin  the  glutted  condition  of  the  Chinese  market, 
where  the  greatest  number  of  the  skins  were 
(Hsposod  of  l)y  barter.  Bishop  Veniaminof  says 
(vol.  I,  p.  290)  that  "in  1803  eight  hundred  thou- 

'  Vol.  II.  p.  !t9. 

■Daniel  Wol.stcr,  Vc.l.  TI.  ]>.  1S2. 

•H.  II.  M.liityri',  Vol.  II.  p. .-.7;  J.  Stanley  Brown.  Vol.  II. )).  Ifi. 

'  Letter  of  Cliicf -M.-iniiK'T  i'luiiliclm  to  the  l'o;ml  of  Adniinis- 
triiiion  ot  tliH  li'nssiiiu  Anieiieiiii  Company,  liated  July  l(i.  lSt;;{, 
\n|.  1,  |).  JSS.  A  fnll  .lecount  of  tlie  method  of  diyiiij,'.  s.iltiiiLr, 
;ni(l  |)iicUing  the  hkius  in  };iveu  by  Dr.  II.  II.  Melutyre,  \ol.  II, 
p.  .'(T. 


Improvfmenf  in 
tiealiiiji  the  skins. 


mm 


5Ji 


li;i:. 


1G4 


MANA(JEMKNT    OF    THE    HEAL    KOOKKKIES. 


iiiipn.v.'iiioiit  in  sand  skins  had  accunnilated,  there  being- no  prof- 

ti'outiug  thcHkiiis.  _ 

itable  sale  for  tlieni  at  Kiakhta  (tlie  (Chinese 
market  town),  and  besides  a  hu'ge  proportion  of 
tlie  skins  became  spoiled,  and  more  than  seven 
hundred  thousand  were  burned  or  thrown  intd 
the  sea."  But  under  American  control  all  skins 
are  salted,  as  will  be  seen  by  an  examination  of' 
the  London  Trade  Sales,  and  there  is  no  waste, 
iiicrciiso.  Under  this  careful  manag-ement  of  the  United 

Stiites  Government  the  seal  herd  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands  increased  in  numbers,  at  least  up  to  the 
year  1881.  This  increase  was  readily  recognizeil 
by  those  located  on  the  islandt:.'  Capt.  Bryant 
says  that  in  1877  the  breeding-  seals  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent  that  they  spread  out  on  the  sand 
beaches,  while  in  1870  they  had  been  confined  to 
the  shores  covered  with  broken  rocks.'  Mr.  Fal- 
coner mentions  the  fact  that  in  1871  passag-es  or 
lanes  were  left  by  the  bulls  through  the  breeiHng 
grounds  to  the  hauling-  grounds,  which  lie  ol)- 
served  to  be  entirely  closed  up  by  breeding  seals 
in  1876,'  and  in  this  statement  he  is  borne  «>ut 
by  the  testimon}-  of  Dr.  Mclntyre.*  It  must  hn 
remembered  also  in  this   connecti<m   that  two 


I  OiistiivcMebiium,  Vol.  II.ji.TT;  11.  W.  Mrlntyrc,  Vol.  II,  p.  i;iN; 
Daniel  Wfli.stor,  Vol.  II,  p.  ISI ;  J.  U.  Kedpatli,  Vol.  II,  p.  151. 
'  Vol.  II,  p.  7. 
3  Vol.  II,  p.  1(51. 
M'ol.  II,  p.  U. 


EviiJKNCE  OF  i>i:chi:a8e. 


165 


liiiiidrcd  iuid  forty  tlioiisiiud  inid«^  seals  had  been  lueicaso. 
destroyed  in  iSdS,  and  that  this  increase  took 
place  in  s[)ite  of  that  shiuj^liter  an<l  altlioug-li  one 
liiimh'ed  lh(»usand  male  seals  were  taken  annn- 
ally  u[)on  the  islands.'  How  this  increase  conld 
1„.  iv('o(>ni/ed  has  been  already  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the(jnestion  ofestimatin*^-  the  nnmher 
of  seals,  and  is  best  shown  b\'  the  charts  marked 
A  to  K,'  which  have  been  verilied  l)v  those  most 
faniiliar  with  senl  life  dnrinj^-  that  period  (1870  to 
iSJSl).''  That  this  increase  in  the  seal  herd  was 
uii(loubte<ll\'  the  resnlt  of  the  methods  and  man- 
af^cinent  emjdoyed  by  the  American  Government 
is  a  fact  asserted  and  clearly  proved.* 


DECREASE  OF  THE  ALASKAN  SEAL  HERD. 
EVIDENCE    OF    DECREASE. 

From  the   vcnir    1880  to   the  vear  1884-85    r.rind  „f  stag. 

...  .  '  iialiou. 

tlic  condition  of  tlie  rookeries  showed  neither 
incicase  nor  decrease  in  the  nnnd)er  of  seals  on 
the    islands.''     In  1884,    however,   there   was    a 


'  Loiuloii  Trado  Sales,  Vol.  II,  p.  58.5;  tables  of  seals  taken,  Vol. 
II.  ii|i.  127  and  172. 

Sec  iiiiitl'olio  of  niiips  and  cliiirts  and  explanatory  attidavits  of 
II.  11.  Mclntvio,  \'ol.  II.  i).3(i;  CiiMil.'.s  iiiyant,  Vol.  II,  y.  :H,  and 
,1.  Stinilcv  Blown.  Vol.  II,  \>.  20. 

11.  II.  Milntyrc,  Vol.  II, p. 11;  ('liarlcs  liryant.  Vol.  II. p. 7;  T. 
1'.  .Miiiu:iii,  Vol.  11,  p.  (il;  Saiiiiicl  I'alfontM',  Vol.  II,  p.  107. 
M.  ('.  (':mt\vell,  N'ol.  II.  p.  l(l«:   II.  (i.  Oti.^,  \'ol.  II.  p.  87. 

.1.  Stiuilcy  ISiown,  Vol.  II.  p.  18;  .).  II.  Monlton,  Vol.  II,  p.  71; 
H.A.liliddin,  \'ol.  U.  p.  lO'J. 


V  V  '^ 


II" 


166 


DKCREASr:    OF    I'lIK    ALASKAN    SKAL    lU'.KD. 


Period  oi  .stag-pcrccutihli^  (IcHTCfisc  iiotici'd  ill  the  seal  liord  at 

iiiitiiiii, 

tlio  islnuds,'  iuid  in  \X^f)  tlic  (Iccivasif  was 
markod  in  tlio  iui«j;ratin^'  licrd  as  it  })assL'd  ii|t 
aluno'  tlie  Anicrican  coast,  botli  by  the  Indian 
hunters  alonu"  the  coast'-  and  by  white  seal 
huntei's  at  sea.'  Since  that  time  the  decrease 
has  become  more  evident  from  year  to  year,  botli 
at  the  rookeries^  and  in  the  waters  of  tlie  Pacilic 
Ocean  and  lierin<i-  Sea;^  Tlie  lierin*;  Sea  C^hh- 
niissioners  of  both  Great  Britain  and  tlie  United 
States,  in  their  joint  report,  atKrm  that  a  decrease 
has  taken  place  in  tlu;  lunnber  of  the  seal  herd;" 
so  that  the  simple  fact  is  accepted  by  liotli 
parties  to  this  controversy.  But  the  time  when 
the  seals  commenced  decreasing-,  the  extent  of 
such  decrease,  and  its  cause  are  matters  for  con- 
sideration. 
Oil  Piibiiof  i«i-  The  American  Berino-  Sea  Commissioners, 
after  an  exhaustive  examination  of  the  condition 
of  the  rookeries,  as  to  the  evidence  of  their 
former  limits,  and  of  individual  witnesses  who 
had  ol)served   the    rookeries  for  several    3^ears, 

'.].  H.  M(. niton,  Vol.  11.  p.  71 ;  M.  C.  Kiskiiie,  Vol.  II,  p.  422;  Anton 
Mplovcdoir,  \ol.II.p.  Kf!t. 

-Airic.l   living,  Vol.  11.  p.  387;  Bowaclmp,  Vol.  II,  p.  370;  N. 

GrfKiuotr.  \<>\.  II.  11. :;;it. 

^K.  \V.  I.ittl.jolin.  \ol.  II.)..  157;  A.  McLean.  Vol.  II,  p.  137. 
■».).  il.  Donglas.s,  Vol.  II.  ]>.4n);  M.  C.  Erskim-,  Vol.  II,  p.  422;  N. 
Maii(lr,-i;iii.  Vol.  II.  p.  110. 
'*Jain(!s  Kcmicdv.  \'id.  II.  p.  Il!l;  I'liarlcs  LutJeiiH,  V<d.  II,  p.  l")!!. 
•'.Joint  K'cpoit  ol'  I'x'iinjj  .Sea  (Joniniissioncrs.  /(^.t/,  p.  309. 


.     4     ^ 


EVIDKNCI',    or    IM'.CltKASI-: 


1G7 


stiito  tlmt  tlie  s|>ii('C's   now   cuvcrtMl   1»\'  scjils  iirc    on  I'ribiloC  1h1- 

iimlM. 

iiiiicli  less  ill  area  tluiii  t'oi'iiu'rly,  iiiwl  tluit  a 
iiiiii'kiMl  yejn'ly  decrease  is  sliown  to  liaM'  tiikeii 
|)la('e  (liirinj)'  tlie  last  iive  or  six  years.'  Karj) 
Huterin,  native  chief"  of  the  St.  Paul  Islanders, 
\\li(»  has  li\ed  <»n  the  island  all  his  lite,  sa>s: 
"IMenty  scliooiKM's  came  lirst  al)out  ei<iht  or 
nine  years  a/^'o  and  more  and  moi-c  over}'  }ear 
since;  and  the  seals  g-et  less  ever  since  schoon- 
ers came;  and  my  people  kejit  sayin<>-,  'No 
cows!  no  C(»ws!"-    Dr.  Williani  S.  Ileret'ord,  who 


was 


resident  jdiysician   on   tlu^   Prihilot"  Islands 


from   ISSO  to  18!>1,  inclusive,  sav 


It 


IS   an 


indisputable  fact  that  lai't^e  portions  of  the 
hreeding'  rookeries  and  hauling'  grounds  are 
hare,  where  but  a  few  years  ago  nothing-  but 
tlie    hai)py,    noisy,  and    snarling    seal    families 


cou 


Id  1 


)e  seen 


. "  '■> 


and  iMr.  A.  I'.  Loud,  assistant 
Treasury   agent    on   the   islands  from    ISHo    to 


ISSi), 


tl 


savs  tliere  was  a  ver\-  marked  decrease  ni 


Idc 


tlic  si/e  of  the  breedin<>'  uronnds  from   iSSf)  to 


r     !-<■ 


I-S-Sij."  (^ipt.  Conlson,  of  the  United  States 
Revenue  JMarine,  who  cruised  in  IJei'ing  Sea  in 
1870,  IS'JO,  and  IS'JI,  also  menti(»ns  the  fact 
that  the  decrease   in   one   yeai-  (ISDO-'IH)   was 


K'cjxirl  of  Aiiici'icMii  ISiTinj;' S(  .-I  ('iiiiiiiiis>iiiiifrs. /n/.s/, 


'.10. 


K;ii|il!iiti-iiii,  Vol.  11,1).  !•'•*;  Si'talsoC.  I..  Kowlci,  Vol.  IJ,  p.  23. 
Vol.  11,1..  :)(i. 

I  Vol.  n,  p.:38. 


BMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


!rfllM  ilM 

'i'  IM    IIIII2.2 


Z   1^    IIIII20 


1.8 


1.25 

1.4 

1.6 

-^ 6"     — 

► 

Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


f\ 


iV 


^ 


s? 


<x 


23  WEST  MAIN  »ti,.lJ 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


lV 


6^ 


:<^£^. 


6^ 


<^ 


\\\ 


168 


DECREASE    OF    THE   ALASKAN    SEAL    HERD. 


'1™*     ':l 


On  Pribiiof  Is- very  noticea})le.'  Commaiuler  Turner,  RoAal 
Navy,  in  a  dispatch  to  Rear- Admiral  Hotliani, 
dated  on  the  Ni/nqthia  at  Ks(iuiniault,  October  S, 
1891,  states  that  "on  the  hirj^est  rookery,  a  jrveat 
tract  of  land,  which  a  few  years  sigo  had  been 
covered  with  seals,  and  the  bowlders  and  j'ocks 
which  had  been  worn  smooth  by  them,  was 
now  totally  deserted,  and  no  increase  had  been 
observed  on  other  rookeries  to  compensate  for 
this  deficiency."  ^ 

How  great  has  been  the  decrease  in  the  num- 
ber of  seals  is  most  plainly  shown  by  rhe  charts 
marked  A  to  K.  The  areas  co\ered  by  breed- 
ing seals  in  1891,  which  were  carefully  platted 
by  the  Govenunent  surveyor  from  observations 
and  measurements  made  by  him  during-  his  sur- 
vey, should  be  compared  with  the  lines  of  increase 
heretofore  mentioned.^  M,  C.  Erskine,  a  sea  caj)- 
t.iin  of  twenty-four  years'  exj)erience  in  Alaskan 
waters,  speaks  of  the  scarcity  of  seals  in  Bering 
Sea  in  1890  as  compared  with  the  numbers  seen 
in  former  years/  Treasury  Agent  Goff,  who  was 
jn  charge  of  the  islands  in  1889  and  1890,  and 
who  had  reported  the  decrease  of  seals  to  the 
Government,  in  consequence  of  which  report  the 

'Vol.  II,  p.  415. 

2  111  itish  Mine  Itook,  IT.  S.  No.  8  (mt2)  ("-(i«3r.,  p.  113. 

^  Aiili;  p.  U'Ct. 

M'«l.II,p.4*i2. 


EVIDKNCK   OF  DKCRKASE. 


169 


iimiil)er  of  seals  to  bo  taken  luul  been  recbiced    On  rribiiof  isi- 

1  111.  amis. 

t(»  Sixty  thousand,  and  the  tnne  for  killinjir  hniited 
to  July  20,*  aays:  "As  a  result  of  the  enforce- 
ment of  these  regulations  the  lessees  were  unable 
to  take  more  than  twenty-one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  seals  of  the  killable  age,  of 
from  one  to  five  years,  during  the  season  of  181)0, 
so  great  had  been  the  decrease  of  seal  life  in  one 
year,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  obtain 
sixty  thousand  skins  even  if  the  time  had  been 
unrestricted."^  He  further  adds  that  the  weather 
in  1890  was  as  favorable  to  seal  driving  as  in 
1889  (when  one  hundred  thousand  skins  were 
taken)  and  the  driving  was  conducted  as  dili- 
gently in  the  latter  year  as  in  the  former.^ 
Besides  the  foregoing  testimony,  the  natives  and  Evidence, 
white  residents  on  the  islands  state  that  the  seals 
began  to  decrease  in  1885  or  1886,  and  that  the 
decrease  has  been  the  most  rapid  in  the  last 
three  years.''' 

Thomas  Gibson,  a  seal  hunter  since  1881,  says    Along  the  coast, 
tliere  has  been  a  great  decrease  in  the   nundier 
of  seals  in  the  North  Pacific  and  Bering  Sea  since 


'  AHte,Tp.  153- 

«  Vol.11,],.  112, 

'  Anton  Melovertoff,  Vol.  II,  j,.  ]4;{;  .Vgfjic  Kiisliin,  Vol.  II,  p.  128; 
Nic.ili  Krnk(,tt;  Vol.  II,  p.  i:i2;.)olm  liiitis,  \  ol.  II,  p.  108;  .Vh-xander 
Hiiimson,  Vol.II,p.  1 10;  IliinicI  Wcltsfcr.  Vol.  II.  p.  I81;('.  L.  I'ow- 
Iti.  \ol.  II,  p.  Ml;   Kdwiuil  lluj{ius,  \ol.  II.  p.  ;{7. 


170 


DE(  RKASi;    OF    THE    ALASKAN    SEAL    HERD. 


% 


"^-^.^ 


/;-;ri|| 


Aioiisiiiccoast.  he  began  huntiii}^,*  and  lie  is  8ui)|)oi'te(I  in  this 
Ktatenient  by  James  L.  Carthcut,  captain  of  a 
sealing  vessel  from  1877  to  1887,  xVlexandcr 
McLean,  a  captain  of  a  sealing  schooner  for 
eleven  years,  Daniel  McLean,  also  with  eleven 
years'  experience,  and  many  others.^  Petci- 
IJrown,  chief  of  the  Makah  Indians  at  Neah  Hay, 
in  the  St.ite  of  Washington,  a  tribe  who  from 
time  immemorial  have  l>een  expert  seal  hunters 
and  have  through  their  industry  acquired  nuicli 
proi)erty"  and  are  among  the  few  civilized  a'  /orig- 
inal tribes  of  North  America,  testifies  to  the 
decrease  in  the  seal  herd.*  Hastings  Yethow,  jui 
old  Indian  residing  at  Nicholas  liay,  Prince  of 
Wales  Island,  who  has  hunted  seals  from  boy- 
hood, says:  "Since  the  white  men  with  schooners 
began  to  hunt  seal  off  Prince  of  Wales  Island, 
the  seals  have  become  very  scarce  and  unless 
they  are  stopped  from  hunting  seal  they  will 
soon  be  all  gone.  If  the  white  men  are  permit- 
ted to  hunt  seal  much  longer  the  fur-seal  will 
become  as  scarce  as  the  sea- otter,  which  were 
quite  plenty  around  Dixon  Entrance  when  I 
was  a  boy.     The  Indians  are  obliged  to  go  a 

'  Vol.  H,p.  432. 

»  (i.  Fogcl,  Vol.  n,  p.  424;  G.  Isiiiusoii,  Vol.  U,  p.  410;  .Iiiiik.- 
Slotiii,  Vol.  II,  p.  477;  J.  D.  MelJonuhl,  Vol.II,p.2GU;  LoitiiC'iilli  i. 
Vol.  II.  p.  H21. 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  Win. 

*  Ibid.,  pp.  377, 378. 


EVIDENCE   OF    DECREASE. 


171 


loiiy  way  for  seal  now,  and  often  return  after  two    aioiik  tiHMOimt. 

or  tlirce    days'   hunt   without    any.'"     George 

Skuhka,  chief  of  the   Hyda  Indians  at  Uow- 

kiiii,  says:  "There  are  no  seals  left  now;  they 

i.iv  most  all  killed  off."=^     Cliief  Frank,  Second 

Ciiief  of  the  Kaskan  Indians,  states  that  "fur  seal 

arc  not  as  plenty  as  they  used  to  be   and  it  is 

liind  for  the  Indians  to  catch  any, '  and  closes  his 

testimony  with  the  words,  "there  is  one  thing 

ccitain,    seals    are    getting    scarce."*     Thomas 

Lowe,  a  seal  imnter  belonging  to  the  Clallam 

tiihc,  Vassili  Feodor,  a  native  hunter  of  the  vil- 

lii«^e  of  Soldovoi  in  Cooks  Inlet,  and  many  other 

hiiliims  Hving  along  the  coast  from  the  Straits 

(ttJuan  de  Fuca  to  Cooks  Inlet,  make  the  same 

iiss(  ition.*     That    this   decrease,  in   respect   to 

which  the  evidence  is  so  unanimous  from  every 

point    of  observation,  was   not   caused  by  any 

cliiiiige  in  the  methods  employed  on  the  ishmds 

lijis  ah'eady  been   shown  by  the  testimony  of 

munerims    reliable    witnesses,  who    prove   that 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  303.    See  also  Chief  TboniHS  Skowl,  Vol.  II,  p.  300; 
Smith  Xntth,  Vol.  II,  p.   299;  Nusbtou,  Vol.    II,p.  29«;  Robert 
K.M.kn,  V.)l.  II,  p.  296. 
Vol.  II.  p.  290. 

•Vol.  II,  p.  280. 

'  Allred  livinjf,  Vol.  II,  p.  387;  Circus.Iim  (Neab  Bay),  Vol.  II,  p. 
3Kll,:Wl;  Wi'ckeiiniicHch  (Harrliiy  Soiiiwl),  Vol.  II,  i>.  311;  Miutiii 
siiiuii.v  (Sitka  Hny),  Vol.  II,  p.2t»8;  KinkooKa  (Vakiitat  Hay),  Vol. 
II.  I>.  240:  Mik<^  Ki-tlnmiliick  (Sitka  Hay).  Vol.  II,  ]>.  2n2;  Eclioii 
(Sli.ikiiii)  Vol.  II,  p.  280;  Siiiieou  Cbiii-koo-tin  (Sitka  Buy),  Vol.11, 


172 


DECREASE    OP   THE    ALASKAN    SEAL    HERD. 


Aioug  the  coast,  tliere  WHS  110  cliaiige  ill  the  muiiner  of  liaiuHiii;f 
and  takiii<^  the  seals  in  the  hist  decade  from  that 
employed  in  former  years,  during  which  the  seal 
herd  materially  increased.^ 


CAUSE. 


T.iifk  of  male 
I  i  I'l'  nut  tbo  cuuse. 


"%m^yy 


k-M>St^. 


N 


Nor  was  this  marked  decrease  chargeable  to 
the  fact  that  there  were  not  sufficient  males  to 
serve  the  females  resorting  to  the  islands.^  Mr. 
J.  C.  Redpath,  already  quoted  as  one  thoroughly 
familiar  with  seal  life  on  the  islands,  says:  "A 
dearth  of  bulls  on  the  breeding  rookeries  was  a 
pet  theory  of  one  or  two  transient  visitors,  but  it 
only  needed  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  rook- 
eries to  convince  the  most  skeptical  that  there 
were  plenty  of  bulls  and  to  spare,  and  that  hardly 
a  cow  could  be  found  on  the  rookeries  without 
a  pup  at  her  side."^  Karp  Buterin,  Head  Chitf 
of  the  natives  of  St.  Paul  Island,  says:  "Plenty 
of  bulls  all  the  time  on  the  rookeries,  and  plenty 
bulls  have  no  cows.  I  never  seen  a  three-year- 
old  cow  without  a  pup  in  July;  only  two-year- 
olds  have  no  pups."*  Agent  Goff  particularly 
testifies  that  although  the  lessees  had  much  difii- 


K4tite,j).  164. 

2. J.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  18;  Anton  Melovedott",  Vol.  II,  p. 
142:  Daniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,p.l8l. 
3  Vol.  II,  p.  151. 
*Vol.II,p.  104. 


CAUSE. 


173 


)vedott',  Vol.  II,  l>. 


ciilty  to  procure  their  quota  in  1889,  a  sufficient     i-ack  of  male 

lififl  uot  thf  caime. 

number  oi  males  were  reserved  for  breedinar 
purposes.*  Col.  Jose})li  MuiTay,  assistant  agent 
on  the  islands  in  1890,  and  still  holding  that 
p<»sition,  says:  "I  saw  nearly  every  cow  with  a 
pu^i  by  her  side  and  hundreds  of  vigorous  bulls 
witlout  any  cows,"^  And  this  statement  is  sup- 
}t(»rted  by  Mr.  J.  Stanley  Jirown,  who  was  on  the 
islands  in  1 891  .^  Maj.  W.  11.  Williams,  the  pres- 
ent agent  of  the  United  States  Government  on 
the  Pribilof  Islands,  and  who  held  that  position  in 
1891,  says:  "During  the  season  of  1891  nearly 
every  mature  female  coming  upon  the  rookeries 
gave  birth  to  a  yoimg  seal,  and  there  was  a  great 
jrhundance  of  males  of  sufficient  age  to  again  go 
upon  the  breeding  grounds  that  year,  as  was 
sIk^vu  l)y  the  inability  of  large  numbers  of  them 
to  secure  more  than  one  to  five  cows  each,  while 
(piite  a  number  could  secure  none  at  all.*  Aggie 
Kusliin,  for  several  }'ears  assistant  priest  in  the 
Greek  Catholic  Church,  and  resident  on  St.  Paul 
Island  since  18(J7,  says:  "'We  noticed  idle,  vigor- 
ou  '  vdls  on  the  breeding  rookeries  because  of  the 
scarcity  of  cows,  and  I  have  noticed  that  the  cows 
have  decreased  steadily  every  year  since  1886, 
'  Vol.  I  r,  p.  112. 

«  Vol.  II,  ,..74. 
»  Vol.  II,  11.  u. 
••Vol.  II.  p.  94. 


m^r^' 


M^it'P 


:74 


D?:(IJK.\SK    OK    THE    ALASKAN    SKAL    HKRD. 


^n>^. 


*«.  m^:\  -.rSlHt 


m 


m 


m 


ei 


Luck  of  III II I.  hut  nmre  i)articiil{irlvso  in  1888,  1889,  1890,  tuul 

ife  luil  tin-  caiiHO.  '■ 

ISiU."'  And  tlio  fact  tliat  tlie  conflicts  took 
plare  between  tlie  l>ulls  on  tlie  rookeries  in  1890 
and  1891  is  snlHcient  to  show  tliat  virile  males 
were  not  lackinj^-.'-'  It  lias  also  been  shown  that 
the  decrease  in  the  seals  took  place  primarily 
among-  the  female  portion  of  the  herd. 
RnidH  on  rook-  Haids  Upon  the  rookeries,  or  the  unlawful 
killing"  of  seals  on  the  islands  by  unauthorized 
persons,  thongh  injurious  to  seal  life,^  have 
plaved  no  important  part  in  the  histoiy  of  the 
rookeries,  and  the  few  thousand  skins  thus 
secured  never  a  fleeted  the  number  of  the  seal 
herd  to  any  extent.^  The  Auierican  Coimuis- 
sioners,  after  asserting-  that  the  number  of 
seals  killed  by  raiders  is  very  inconsiderable, 
continue:  "It  is  also  difficult  for  one  familiar 
with  the  rookeries  and  the  habits  of  the  seal  to 
conceive  of  a  raid  being  made  without  its 
l)eioming-  known  to  the  officers  in  charge  of  the 
operations  upon  the  islands.  The  'raid  theory,' 
therefore,  may  be  disniissed  as  unworthy,  in  our 
judg-Micnt,  of  serious  consideration."^  Mr.  Stanley 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  128.  S.'.)  also  John  Fratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  109;  H.  N. 
Claik,  Vol.  II,  1).  15!t;  Kaniel  Webster,  Vol.  II,  p,  181. 

-Kcpoit  of  .Vnierican  Ht-iiug  Sea   Coninii8Hioner8,  j>08(,  p.  349. 

•H.  H.  Mcliitvre,  Vol.  II,  p.  46;  T.  F.  Morgan,  Vol.  II,  p.  65. 

*\\.  H.  Taylor,  Vol.  II,  p.  177;  .J.  H.  Moiilton,  Vol.  II,  p.  72;  H. 
H.  Mcliityre.  Vol.  II,  |).  46;  Afrgio  Knsliin.  Vol.  II,  p.  128;  Jolm 
Fratis.  Vol.  II.  p.  1(»S. 

'''Kc|>ort  of  Aiiierii-aii  Iteriiig  Sea  C'oiiiiiiisHioiiert),po8/,  p.  378. 


CAIISK. 


175 


Ikown,  in  coiisidirinir  tliis  (lucstiini,  ami  at'tcr  m    Kiu.Ih  nn  nM.k 

uricHiiot  the  cause. 

cjireful  oxamination  of  tlio  statistics  relatin*^ 
thereto,  says:  "The  inli<^sj»ital>l('  slioros,  tlio 
exjiosure  of  the  islands  to  surf,  the  unfavorablo 
climatic  conditions,  as  well  as  the  ))resenco  of 
the  natives  and  white  men,  will  always  prevent 
raids  upon  the  islands  from  ever  bein*^  fre(|uent 
or  effective."'  A  further  evidence  of  the  infre- 
f|uency  of  such  niaraudin<f  is  clearly  shown  by 
the  affidavit  of  Mr.  Max  lleilbroinier,  Secretary 
of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  as  compiled 
from  the  records  of  said  com])any,-  and  the  state- 
ment com])iled  by  the  Treasury  l)ei)artment 
fr(»m  the  rejjorts  of  their  a<:;ents  <bn'inof  Ameri- 
can occupation,  there  bein<^  })ut  sixteen  siu'li 
invasions  reported.^  If  other  raids  had  taken 
|)la<'e  besides  tliese,  the  fact  would  havecertaiidy 
have  been  known  on  the  islands,  as  their  effect 
would  have  been  seen  on  the  breedinf»-  jrrounds 
in  the  shape  of  dead  carcasses  of  pups  and  other 
seals.*  The  difficulty  of  landin<i-  upon  the  rook- 
cries  without  being  (hscovere<l  is  also  made 
evident  from  the  ineffectual  effctrts  of  j)redatory 
vessels  to  land  men  on  tlie  islands,  which  are 


M.  Stanley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  i..  18. 
-Max  H»>ill>ronnor's  stjUcint-nt,  Vol.  II,  ])j).  112-127. 
'Tivasiiry  nt'partnu'ut,  stiit«'nn'iit  olrnids,  \'ol.  II,  p.  519. 
<Anton  Melovedott",  Vol.  II,  p.  143. 


il,*'i»!E^i^l., 


176 


DEt'REASK   OF    THE    ALASKAN    SEAL    HERD. 


r;i.« 


lit  ■. 


imim' 


'Mil 


Riiids  oil  rook- described   by   members  of  the   crews  of    siuli 

crii'H  nut  tlio  cause. 

vessels.* 
MuiiiiKPUH'nt  of     If,  tlieii,  tliis  marked  decrease  in  the  Aljiskiiii 

rookeries  not  the 

cause.  seal  herd  has  not  been  caused  by  the  way  tlic 

seals  are  handled  or  killed  upon  the  islands,  iioi 
by  a  lack  of  male  life  resultin»»'  from  excessive 
destruction  of  bachelor  seals  by  the  lessees  ot 
the  seal  rookeries  with  the  consent  of  the  (ji(»\- 
ernment  of  the  United  States,  nor  by  the  dejjic- 
dations  of  marauding  parties  ujjon  the  islands, 
another  cause  of  destruction  nuist  be  sought. 
Kxrissiv.!  kill-      It  is  admitted  by  all  i)arties  to  this  controversy 

111};   lilt!  ailniittid  •         i         »i      i 

taiisc.  that  a  decrease  has  taken  place  in  the  Alasknii 

seal  herd  which  has  been  "the  result  of  excessixc 
killing  by  man."'^  The  acts  of  man  in  destroy- 
ing seal  life  can  be  pert\)rmed  either  uptui  the 
islands  which  the  seals  have  chosen  for  tlicir 
home  or  in  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  oi- 
Bering  Sea,  while  the  herd  is  performing  its 
annual  migration  or  during-  its  stay  at  the  islands. 
That  such  destruction  of  the  species  on  the 
r.'iiiu'ic  Hpaiing  islands  has  not  caused  the  great  decrease  in  tlie 

tlie  sole  cause.  i  <•  i      i  i  i       i  i  ^i 

number  oi  seals  has  aireatlv  been  shown;  there 
remains,  therefore,  but  one  other  possible  cause, 
namely,  the  killing  of  seals  during  their  mignt- 

'  Joseph  Gryines,  Vol.  H,  p.  434;  Peter  Duffy,  Vol.  II,  p.  42L 
'.Joint  Report  of  the  American  an<l  British  Coniniissioners, /ii'it, 
p.  3()9. 


CAUSE. 


171 


lion  (iv  ill  tl>e  waters  adjaccut  to  the  iHlaiuls;  in    ivinKi«  Healing 

tli«-  aule  cuiiHu. 

iitlur  words,  the  sole  cause  of  the  present  depleted 
(onditlou  of  the  Alaskan  seal  herd  is  the  rettult 
t^it-  open-sea  sealinj^.  This  is  shown  particularly 
iroiH  tin;  fact  that  the  decrease  has  been  prin- 
cipidly  in  the  female  portion  of  the  seal  herd/ 
wliirh  will  be  shown  later  to  form  from  ei«^hty 
to  ninety  per  cent  »>f  the  [)ela<ric  catch.^  That  Opinions, 
siicii  is  the  cause  of  decrease  is  the  concurrent 
M|nuion  of  a  g-reat  number  of  witnesses,  Indians 
and  whites,  of  many  occupations  and  of  varied 
experience.  The  American  Bering-  Sea  Commis-  Amn  Iran  .  om- 
si(»ners,  after  a  careful  and  exhaustive  examina- 
tion into  the  (piestion  of  decrease,  report  the  cause 
t<t  he  pelag-ic  sealing.^  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  after  Dr. Allen, 
exjnnininjjf  and  duly  weijjhinjy  the  sources  of 
intorination,  American,  Briti.sh,  and  Canadian, 
declares  it  to  be  his  opinion  that  pelagic  sealing* 
lias  been  the  sole  cause  of  the  great  decrease 
in  the  Alaskan  seal  herd.*  Such  witnesses  as  Expiiis. 
Thomas  F.  Morgan,  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  and 
otlurs,  of  twenty  years'  experience  with  the 
Alaskan  herd  and  thoroughly  conversant  with 
all  the  conditions  and  })hase8  of  seal  life,  state 

'  li*')iort  of  Aineriran  Bi-ring  Sen  C'oninii.sHionurs  and  tho  wit- 
nesses e.\iiniiui><1  by  them,  posf,  p.  311 ;  Kiirj>  Hiiterin,  Vol.  II,  p.  103. 
■Iteport  of  American  Herin);  Sea  Conniiissionei's,  ;)o«(,  p.  367. 
'h'e|Mirt  of  the  American  l<erin<;  Sea  CommiisHiduors,  i>o«<,  p.  379. 
*  Artielc  J.y  Dr.  Allen,  Fart  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  410. 
i>71(j 23 


-h 


'>:.^iv 


"in  ,«.^-  __• 


%m 


m 


I 


^5;:i 


17S  DECREASE   OF   THE    ALASKAN    HEAL    HERD. 

Experta.  tho  8ole  CRUso  of  tho  decrease  to  bo  pelagic  seal- 

ing.* Cnpt.  Daniel  Webster,  already  mentioned, 
and  one  of  the  most,  if  not  the  most,  expe- 
rienced white  man  in  seal  habits  and  life,  after 
mentioning  the  increase  of  seals  from  1870  to 
1880  and  the  rapid  decrease  from  1884  to  1891, 
says:  "  In  my  judgment  there  is  but  one  causo 
for  that  decline  and  tho  present  condition  of  tiio 
rookeries,  and  that  is  the  shotgun  and  rifle  of 
the  pelagic  hunter,  and  it  is  my  opinion  that  if 
the  lessees  luul  not  'aken  a  seal  on  the  islands 
for  the  last  ten  years  we  would  still  find  tho 
breeding  grr.unds  in  about  the  same  condition 
as  they  are  to-day,  so  destructive  to  seal  life  aro 
the  methods  adopted  by  these  hunters."'  Dr. 
W.  S.  Hereford,  wivh  eleven  years'  ex[)erience  on 
the  seal  islands,  says :  "  I  made  the  conditions 
of  seal  life  a  careful  study  for  years,  and  I  am 
firmly  of  the  opinion  their  decrease  in  number 
on  the  Pribilof  Islands  is  due  wholly  and  entirely 
to  hunting  and  killing  them  in  the  open  sea."* 
Charles  F.  Wagner,  who  was  located  at 
Unalaska  in  1871,  and  has  been  a  fur  trader 
since   1874  to  the  present  time,  says:    "I  am 


>T.  F.  Morgan,  VoL  II,  p.  65;  H.  H.  Molntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  46;  Gu»- 
tave  Niebanm,  VoL  II,  p.  203. 
»VoLII,  p.184. 
'Vol.  II,  p.  36. 


CAITftl!. 


179 


sine  the  decrease  is  caused  by  the  killing  of  Export*, 
tc'iimies  ill  the  open  sea."  *  (It  will  be  shown 
Infer  in  discussing  the  method  and  catch  of  open- 
sea  sealing  vessels  that  a  large  percentage  of  tho 
seals  thus  taken  are  females.)'*  Prof.  W.  H.  Dull, 
tlie  well  known  scientist  and  author,  says:  "It  is 
«'\  ident  that  the  injury  to  the  herd  from  the  kill- 
ing of  a  single  female,  that  is,  the  producer,  is  far 
LTeater  than  from  the  death  of  a  male,  as  the  seal 
is  polygamous  in  habit;  the  destrucLlop  to  the 
herd,  therefore,  is  just  in  proportion  to  the  de- 
struction of  female  life.  Killing  i  i  the  open 
Witters  is  peculiarly  destructive  to  this  animal." 
X  large  number  of  Indians  along  t)  e  I'ucific 
coast  from  Oregon  to  the  passes  of  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  whose  dei)Ositions  are  appended  hereto, 
sue  unanimous  in  declaring  the  cause  of  decrease 
in  the  seal  herd  to  be  open-sea  sealing  as  it  has 
hecn  conducted  for  the  past  six  or  seven  years. 
Evan  Alexandroff,  priest  at  Soldo voi  in  Cook's 
Inlet,  unites  with  several  native  seal  hunters  of 
tliat  locality  in  stating  that  "fur-seals  were  for- 
merly much  more  plentiful,  but  of  late  years  are 
l»k  ioming  constantly  scarcer.  This  is,  we  think, 
owing  to  the  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  hunt- 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  212. 

Tott  p.  196. 

»W.  II    Uall,  Vol.  II,  p.  24. 


Indian  luinten. 


g!ir,i!j«j|r  ';lMl'.r'lil 


180 


DECREASE  OF  THE  ALASKAN  SEAL  HERD. 


^  ^ 


Indian  hunters,  ing  them  at  sea."^  Nicoli  Apokche,  a  uati^'e  fur 
trader  at  Fort  Alexander,  Cook's  Inlet,  says: 
"  Fur  seals  were  formerly  observed  in  this  neigli- 
borhood  in  great  numbers,  but  of  late  years 
they  have  been  constantly  diminishing,  owing  to 
the  large  numbers  of  sealing  vessels  engaged  in 
killing  them,"^  and  his  affidavit  is  signed  by 
several  other  natives  of  that  region  engaged  in 
seal  hunting.  Peter  Brown,  the  old  chief  of  the 
Makah  Indians,  already  quoted,  says  :  "  White 
hunters  came  here  about  five  or  six  years  ago 
and  commenced  shooting  the  seals  with  guns, 
since  which  time  they  have  been  rapidly  decreas- 
ing and  are  becoming  very  wild."^  Ellabasli, 
another  Indian  of  the  same  tribe,  confirms  this 
statement  in  the  following  words:  "Seals  an* 
not  so  plentiful  now  as  they  were  a  few  years 
ago.  They  began  to  decrease  about  five  or  six 
years  ago.  A  good  many  years  ago  I  used  to 
capture  seals  in  the  Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca.  but 
of  late  years,  since  so  many  schooners  and  white 
men  have  come  around  here  shooting  with  guns, 
that  only  a  few  come  in  here  and  we  do  not 
hunt  in  the  Straits  any  more.  I  used  to  catrh 
forty  or  fifty  seals  in  one  day,  and  now  if  I  git 

»  Vol.  II,  p.  229. 
*Vol.  II,  p.  224. 
»  Peter  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  378. 


CAUSE. 


181 


six  or  seven  I  would  have  great  luck.  I  have  to  imiian  ijuutere. 
jro  a  long  distance  to  get  seals  now.  Seals  are 
wild  and  afraid  of  an  Indian.  They  have 
become  so  since  the  white  man  and  the  trader 
l»('«»an  to  shoot  them  with  shotguns  and  rifles. 
In  a  short  time  there  will  be  no  seals  left  for  the 
Indian  to  kill  with  the  spear." '  Watkins,  also  a 
a  Makah  Indian,  who  has  hunted  seals  for  forty 
yvM'H  in  a  canoe  off  Cape  Flattery,  after  men- 
tioning the  decrease  in  the  seals,  says :  "So 
many  schooners  and  white  men  are  hunting  them 
with  guns  all  along  the  coast  that  they  are  get- 
ting all  killed  off"." "  Many  other  members  of  the 
same  and  other  tribes  also  add  their  testimony 
tliiit  the  cause  of  decrease  in  the  migrating 
hcM'd  is  due  to  pelagic  sealing  by  white  men.  ^ 

Numerous  pelagic  sealers  also,  in  spite  of  their  White  se.iinrs. 
interest  being  contrary  to  such  a  conclusion,  ad- 
mit, not  only  the  decrease  in  the  number  of  sf^als, 
but  that  such  decrease  has  been  caused  by  those 
ongag"id  in  their  occupation.  Frank  Johnson,  for 
tun  years  a  seal  hunter,  on  being  asked  the  ques- 
tion to  what  he  attributed  the  decrease,  rej)lied: 
"The  increase  of  the  fleet  and  killing  of  all  the 

'Vol.  II,1>.8«5. 

'Vol.  ll,p.3!)5. 

'Islik;i,V();.II,p.388;  WiHpoo,  Vol.  11,  p.  .397;  Oeorpc  La  Check, 
Vol.  II, p.  2(k>;  .liiii  KjiHooh,  Vol.  II,  p.  21Mi;  Kiug  Kuskwu,  VoL 
11,  p.  21)5;  Ptriy  Kahiktduy,  Vol.  II,  p.  2G1. 


m 


182 


DECREASE    OF   THE    ALASKAN    SEAL    HE^D. 


s-f  '!? 


i 


p 


ii 


M 


in-i 


B-»"t;., 


whiti'scaiera.  feinjiles,"  uddiug  that  if  continued  the  seal  herd 
w<»uld  soon  be  exterminated.^  Alexander  Mc- 
Lean, the  well  known  sealing  captain,  accounts 
for  the  decrease  as  being  the  result  of  killing  the 
female  seals  in  the  water,  and  there  is  no  chance 
for  the  seals  to  increase  because  so  many  vessels 
are  going  into  the  sealing  business.'^  Daniel 
McLean  attributes  the  decrease  to  "  killing  off 
the  females."'  He  is  supported  in  this  statement 
by  H.  Harmsen,  a  seal  hunter  of  many  years' 
ex])erience;*  Niles  Nelson,®  Adolphus  Sayers,^ 
and  others  engaged  in  the  same  occupation.^ 
William  Hennann,  who  has  been  a  seal  hunter 
for  more  tlian  a  decade,  says:  "I  think  tliey  (the 
seals)  are  decreasing  on  account  of  their  being 
hunted  so  much."*  William  Mclsaac  says:  "I 
think  there  are  so  many  boats  and  hunters  out 
after  them  that  they  are  being  killed  off;  they  are 
hunted  too  imKih.""  William  H.  Long,  a  captain 
of  a  sealing  vessel,  takes  the  same  view  of  the 

>  Vol.  II,  ,>.  441. 
"Vol.  II,  i>.  437. 
"Vol.  II,  i>.  441. 
<V<il.II,pi).442,443. 
•VoLII,i>.470. 
•VoLII,i>.473. 

TPeteitJolliiiH,  Vol.  IT,  p.413;JamesKieniaii,  Vol.  II,  p.450;  Qm- 
ta  ve  iHaacsoii,  Vol.  II,  p.  440. 
•Vol.  II.  p.  446. 
•Vol.  11,  p.  M51. 


CAUSE. 


183 


matter,' as  also  many  other  sealers  do.^  Others  wmto  sealers. 
loss  intimately  acquainted  with  the  business  of 
open-sea  sealing,  but  from  experience  and  knowl- 
edge of  seal  life  qualified  to  judge  as  to  the  cause 
of  decrease ,  unite  in  casting  the  entire  blame 
ui)ou  the  pelagic  sealing  industry.^  Agent  GofF, 
in  speaking  of  pelagic  sealing,  says:  "If  con- 
tinued as  it  is  to-day,  even  if  killing  on  the  islands 
was  absolutely  forbidden,  the  herd  will  in  a  few 
years  be  exterminated."*  This  unanimity  of 
o])inion,  as  expressed  by  every  class  and  condi- 
ti<?u  of  witnesses,  scientists,  sealers,  both  Indian 
and  white,  those  who  have  watched  the  seals 
upon  the  islands  and  those  who  have  seen  the 
animals  during  their  migration  up  the  coast,  is 
further  sup})orted  by  the  statistics  of  the  sealing 
fleet,  its  catch  and  number,  as  compared  with  the 
years  when  no  increase  was  observable  on  the 
islands  and  when  decrease  was  noted. 
Tlie  i)(  i'iod  of  so-called  stagnation  in  the  num-    iii'iPMSf  of  seal- 

'  *=  ill- licet. 

bar  of  the  seal  herd  has  been  shown  to  be  from 
1880  to  1884-'85.^  According  to  the  table  of 
the  sealing  fleet,  prepared  from   all   available 

'Vol.  II,  p.  458. 

^E.  P.  Toiter,  Vol.  II,  p. 347;  .Inmes  E.  Lenimn,V<)l.  II,  p.  370; 
MicliiielWhite,  Vol.11,  pp.  490, 491;  J.  D.  McDonald,  Vol.  II,  pp.  266, 
21)7. 

MoBPph  Murray,  Vol.  II,  p. 74;  H.  H.  Mrlntyro,  Vol.  II,  p. 46; 
Cli:ii  Ics  .1.  Goff,  Vol.  II,  p.  112 ;  J.  Stuuley  Brown,  Vol.  II,  pp.  17, 18, 
19,  2(1. 

*  Vol.  11,  p.  113. 

*  Ank,  p.  165. 


184 


DECREASE   OF   THE   ALASKAN    SEAL   HERD. 


,.'r>  -3 


rlflHi 

m 

OWffi^f«uau|| 

rail 

li"i'! 

H 

1 

m 

1 

inrrciiHo  of  seal- sources,^  the  vGssels  had  increased  from  two  in 

iiig  llutit. 

1879  to  sixteen  in  1880 ;  up  to  1885  the  number 
of  vessels  varied  from  eleven  to  sixteen  ainuuilly. 
Besides  this  it  will  be  shown,  subsequently,  that 
the  hunters  employed  on  these  vessels  during  the 
period  from  1880  to  1885  were  principally 
Indians,  and  that  their  method  of  taking  seals, 
though  injurious,  is  not  nearly  as  destructive  of 
life  as  that  employed  by  other  hunters.  In 
1886,  the  year  when  the  decrease  in  the  seal 
herd  was  first  noticed  along  the  coast,  the  fleet 
increased  from  fifteen  vessels  to  thirty-four,  and 
over  thirty-eight  thousand  skins  were  known  to 
have  been  secured  that  year.^  In  1887  there 
were  forty-six  vessels  engaged  in  sealing,  but  a 
less  mnnber  of  skins  were  taken.  In  188S, 
owing  to  the  seizure  of  several  schooners  in 
Bering  Sea  by  the  United  States  Government, 
the  fleet  fell  off  to  thirty-nine  vessels,  the  catcli 
being  about  thirty-seven  thousand.''  No  seizures 
being  made  in  1888,  the  fleet  increased  again  in 
1889,  numbering  sixty-nine  vessels,  with  a  total 
catch  of  over  forty  thousand.*  Vessels  having 
been  seized  in  1889,  the  number  again  fell  oft' in 
1890  to  sixty,  but  the  catch  increased  to  nearly 

>  Table  of  sealing  fleet,  Vol.  I,  p.  59L 

•  Report  of  American  Itering  Sen  ConimiBBioneTH,  j)08(,  p.  306. 
'  Report  of  Aineriean  ISering  Sc-a  Coinmisaiouers,  post,  p.  366. 

*  Ibid,  post,  p.  366. 


CAUSE. 


185 


(iflv  llioiisaiul.^     In  1800  the  scalers  were  unmo-    iiur.MMorseiii- 

iiiy;  llcL't. 

lestt'd,  ami  so  in  18D1  the  number  of  vessels  was 
uciirly  <l(>uble(l,  reaching-  the  enormous  figure  of 
one  hundred  and  fifteen,"  but  the  cateh,  because 
(if  the  ever-increasing-  scarcity  of  the  seals, 
rciiched  but  sixty-two  thousand  five  hundred.-* 
The  agreement  l)etvveen  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  in  relation  to  pelagic  sealing-  in 
IVriiig-  Sea  in  181)2,  and  the  orders  to  naval 
\essels  pursuant  thereto,  have  not  been  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  invite  investment  in  the  sealinj^ 
tleet,  and  yet,  in  s})ite  of  the  restrictions  imposed 
and  dangers  incurred,  the  fleet  of  sealing-  vessels 
tor  18'J2  is  known  to  contain  at  least  one  hun- 
(h-('(l  and  twenty-three,'' which  is  below  the  actual 
mnnber,  as  und<mbtedly  vessels  have  been  en- 
gaged of  which  the  United  States  Government 
has  received  no  reports.  The  decrease  in  the 
seal  herd  has  thus  been  proportionate  to  the 
increase  of  the  sealing-  fleet*  Another  significant 
fact  in  this  connection  is  that,  until  the  j)eriod  of 
deirease  began,  the  sealing  vessels  did  not,  as  a 

'  Hi'piirt  of  Aiucricaii  Heriuj,'  Sea  CoinmissiouerH,  post,  p.  366. 

-  Iliiil.i  [lost  ]t.  371. 

I  'J'ablc  ol' sealing  fleet,  Vol.  I,  p.  591. 

'  .1.  C.  Retlpiith,  Vol.  II,  p.  141;   Alexaiiaer  C.  Shyha,  Vol.  II, 
I>.  L>L>(). 

It  is  jivdliable  that  the  various  animal  catches  jjivoii  are  much 
tun  siiiall,  as  it  has  brcii  must  diflicult  to  obtain  data  uuil  stutia- 
tii-s  in  this  I'esiH'ct. 

1>71({ 24 


W.'.^ 


.M 


Ir  »!■!-:  I 


186 


DECREASE    OF   THE    ALASKAN    SEAL    HERD. 


Increase  of  seal- rule,  enter  Beriuff  Sea.*     William  Parker,  for 

iug  fleet.  ^^  .  . 

ten  years  engaged  in  the  sealing  business,  sajs  : 
"  There  was  hardly  ever  a  sealing  schooner  tliat 
went  to  Berhig  Sea  during  these  years  (1881- 
1884)  or  prior  to  1885."^  John  Mon-is,  a  mate 
of  a  sealing  vessel  for  several  years,  says :  "  Pri(  »r 
to  this  (1885)  I  had  never  been  in  the  Beriuji- 
Sea,  and  with  but  few  exceptions  sealing  vessels 
did  not  visit  those  waters."^  These  two  fact.s, 
romparisoii  oftlicn,  are  plainly  shown,  that  when  the  sealiii;^' 
iicLieasc.  fleet  consisted  of  a  small  number  of  vessels, 

canying  Indian  hunteis,  and  the  sealing  was 
confined  to  the  Pacific  coast,  no  decrease  took 
place  in  the  number  of  seals;  but  all  increase 
ceased  when  the  sealing  fleet  increased  in  num- 
bers. The  vessels  being  outfitted  with  white 
hunters,  using  firearms,  and  the  hunting  grounds 
extended  so  as  to  include  Bering  Sea,  the  de- 
crease in  the  seal  herd  became  marked  and  rai)i<l, 
constantly  becoming  greater  as  the  fleet  of  seal- 
ing vessels  increased. 

"Andrew  Laing,  Vol.  II,  p.  335;  Charles  P'^terson,  Vol.  II,  p.  346. 
»Vol.  II,  p.  344. 
•  Vol.  II,  p.  340. 


HISTORY. 


187 


PELAGIC  SEALING. 


HISTORY. 

Open-sea  sealinj?,  tlie  sole  cause  of  the  enor-i„f,^;;|;^;s''y^'»"* 
irums  decrease  noted  in  the  Ahiskan  seal  herd  in 
tlie  last  few  j'ears,  and  which  threatens  its  exter- 
mination in  the  near  future,  was  carried  on  by 
the  Pacific  coast  natives  in  their  canoes  for  many 
}'ears  previous  to  the  introduction  of  sealing 
schooners.  The  catch  was  small,  ranging  from 
tliree  to  eight  thousand  annu.'dly,*  and  there  wa.s 
little  or  no  Avaste  of  life  from  the  loss  of  seals 
killed  and  not  secured,  as  will  be  seen  when  the 
means  and  manner  of  hunting  employed  by  the 
Indians  is  considered. 

Even  after  vessels  were  employed  in  the  in- 
dustry, which,  according  to  Mr.  Moms  Moss,  vice- 
prcsid'^nt  of  the  Sealers'  Association  of  Victoria, 
Ihitish  Columbia,  was  about  the  year  1872,^  the 
fleet  was  small,  not  numbering  over  half  a  dozen 
vessels.^  Indians  only  were  employed  as  hunters, 
and  the  seals  were  killed  with  spears.*  With  the 
introduction  of  schooners  to  carry  the  canoes  out 
into  the  ocean,  the  sealing  grounds  were  extended 

'  C.  M.  ScaiiuiKni,  Vol.  II,  p.  475. 
'^Morris  Moms,  Vol.  II,  p. 341. 


VcBSfls  used. 


■/'■'I  i 


188 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


Tnfrodnctioii  of 
ru'ciiniia. 


Vessels  used,  from  the  area  covered  by  a  canoe  trip  of  twenty 
miles  from  a  given  point  on  the  coast'  to  tl it- 
waters  frequented  by  the  migrating  herd  frnin 
the  Columbia  River  to  Kadiak  Island."  In  ISs;] 
the  schooner  San  Die/jo  entered  Bering  Sea  and 
returned  to  Victoria  with  upwards  of  two  thou- 
sand skins.  This  gave  impetus  to  the  trade,  and 
new  vessels  embarked  in  the  enterprise."' 

About  1885  a  new  method  of  hunting  was 
introduced,  which  has  been  the  great  cause  nt" 
making  pelagic  seal  hunting  so  destructive  and 
wasteful  of  life — the  use  of  firearms.*  White 
men  now  became  the  principal  hunters,  and 
where  previously  the  number  of  skilled  and 
available  sealers  had  necessarily  been  limited 
to  a  few  hundred  coast  natives,  the  possibility 
of  larjfe  rewards  for  their  labors  induced  many 
whites  to  enter  the  service  of  those  engaged  in 
the  business  of  seal  destruction.  From  that  time 
forward  the  sealing  fleet  rapidly  increased  in 
number,^  initil  it  now  threatens  the  total  extinc- 
tion of  the  northern  fur-seal. 


'  Peter  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  377;  Alfred  Irviiif,',  Vol.  II,  p.  38fi;  Wil- 
son Pinker,  Vol.  II,  p.  35)2;  llish  Yiilla,  Vol.  II,  p.  397. 

=  Peter  Ihowii,  Vol.  II,  p. 377. 

3  Morris  Moss,  Vol.  II,  p.  3U. 

<  Charlie,  Vol.  II,  p. 304;  Moses,  Vol.  II,  p. 309;  Wispoo,  Vol.  II, 
p.  39(5. 

»  Ante,  p.  183;  Gustave  Niebaiiui,  Vol.  II,  p.  78. 


METHOD. 


180 


METHOD. 

Tlio  vessel  commonly  used  in  wealinpf  is  a  VchsoIs,  ohMU, 
scliooner  ranj^injr  trom  twenty  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  burden;  the  }iveraj*'e  tonnage  per 
vessel  for  the  Victoria  fleet  in  l.SUO  beinjr  G3.2 
tons.^'  The  lunnber  of  hunters  and  canoes  or 
hoats  carried  by  a  sealer  depends  upon  the  size 
of  the  vessel,  but  the  averag-e  number  of  canoes 
is  between  ten  and  sixteen,  each  manned  by  two 
Indians,"  and  when  the  hunters  are  whites  the 
Ituats  generally  nund)er  five  or  six.^  In  some 
cases  both  Indians  and  whites  are  em[)loyed  on 
tlic  same  vessel.^  The  average  number  of  men 
to  a  vessel  in  185)0  was  twenty-two.* 

The  Indian  hunter  almost  invariably  uses  a  in'iiai.  imp.*,  rs 
s]K'ar,  and  tlu)ugh  in  the  last  two  or  three  years 
fiicarms  have  been  carried  in  the  canoe,^  the 
principal  wea])on  used  by  him  is  still  the  spear.' 
A  full  description  of  the  spear,  canoe,  and  man- 
ner of  huntin<r  is  given  by  Lieut.  J.  H.  Quinnan, 
who  accompanie<l  some  of  the  Indians  in  their 
canoe  during-  a  huntinjr  excursion.^     The  most 

'  Ciiiiadiiiii  Fislu-ries  Hcpdrt,  1890,  iiiik''  1>^3. 
-Niels  Hoiule,  Vol.  II,  j).  .31.5-3ir.;  Moses,  Vol.  II,  p.  310. 
'Piitiick  Mamiiey,  Vol.  II,  p.  4G4;  J.  .Jainicsou,  Vol.  II,  p.  329- 
SliO;  Niols  Hoiule,  Vol.  II.  p.  aitJ. 
Mmiiu's  l)alj{ai"<liio,  Vol.  II,  p.  3(54. 

■  rctcr  Ihowii,  Vol.  II,  p.  377;  Morris  Moss,  Vol.  II,  p.  311. 
'  !'( t(>r  nrowii,  Vol.  II,  p.  377;  Moses.  Vol.  II.  p.  30!». 

■  I'l  port  of  Lioiit.  .1.  II.  Qniiiaii,  \'ol.  1,  p.  501.     Stf  also  A.  B. 
AluxiiiiiU'r,  Vol.  II,  p.  352. 


i 


>'^l 


190 


PELAOir    SEALING. 


iM 


»r;i 


Ik 


iiuiiun  huiitiTH.  expert  .s|»i'arsinen  are  the  Makxh  Iiulicaiia  of  Nonli 
liny,  Wiisliin^^ton.'  'I'lie  TiuUan,  from  liin  inotliod 
of  hnntiii*;-,  loses  very  few  seals  that  he  strikes, 
securinj^  nearly  all.* 

wiiito  inint«^rH.  'Wi^  white  liuutcr,  on  the  contrary,  loses  a 
j)Teat  many  seals  which  he  kills  or  wonnds.  ' 
Each  boat  contains  a  hunter,  a  boat-steerer,  and 
a  boat-puller;*  the  hunter  uses  a  rifle,**  a  shot- 
f^un,"  or  both/  the  shotjiun  beinj^  loaded  witli 
buckshot."  A  minute  description  of  the  methods 
emphtyed  by  both  white  and  Indian  hunters  is 
j»iv(Mi  by  Capt.  C.  L.  Hooper,  commander  of  the 
United  States  reveinie  steamer  Convin,  who  was 
niiiny  years  in  the  watc^rs  of  the  North  Pacific 
and  Heriiifi'  Sea,  and  makes  his  statements  from 
personal  observation." 

RKSUI.T8. 

Waste  of  lifi'.  There  are  two  ways  in  which  a  seal  may  bo 
destroyed   by  this  method  of  hunting-  without 

'  A.  R.  AlexnnikT,  Vol.  II,  p.  35'i. 

^TlioiiiimZolnoks,  Vol.  II,  p.  399;  Osly,  Vol.  II,  p.  391;  Wntkiiis. 
Vol.  II.  |i.  89.-.. 

■MaiiiL'S  Kioriijui,  Vol.  II,  p.  ■l.-><);  .T.Tiiies  Konne<ly,  Vol.  II,  p.  1 19, 

^Tlioiiias  Lyons,  Vol.  II,  p.  4(50;  .laiiu's  Moloy,  Vol.  II,  \t.  Hi:!: 
JaineH  Keunody,  Vol.  II,  p.  449. 

I*  James  Keiiiudy,  Vol.  II,  p.  449;  Eddio Morcheart,  Vol.  II,  i>.  KiT; 
Gcoi-fjn  Zaiiiniitt,  Vol.11,  p.  507. 

«  L.  V:  Slu-i.unl,  Vol.  II.  p.  188;  Adolphtis  Saycrs,  Vol.  II,  p.  47:). 

'Patrick  Marouey.  Vol.  II.  p.4&l;  I'eter  Collins,  Vol.11,  p.  111!. 

8 Charles  I.nl.jens,  Vol.  II,  p.  4.->9. 

"Kt'port  of  Capt.  ('.  L.  Hooper  to  the  Troasnry  |)c)iai-lni('iit, 
dated  .Iiine  It.  lS!t2;  Vol.  I.  ]>.  498.  See  also  as  to  white  liiniliis 
William  linimaii,  V<.4.  II.  p.  :!(>(),  :!til. 


RESl'LTS. 


191 


iM'infT  aeoiivc*!;  ono  is  by  woiiiKling"  it  so  tlmt,  Wnstcttfiife, 
tlioiifj^li  it  still  retains  vitality  enough  to  escape 
I'ntni  the  hunter,  it  subsefjuently  dies  of  its  iu- 
juries;  the  other  is  by  the  sinkinj^  of  the  seal, 
killed  outrif^-ht,  before  the  boat  can  be  brouj^ht 
iiltnijfside  and  the  carcass  seized  by  the  hunter. 

Of  the  first  «>f  these  means  of  loss  Dr.  Allen  w.um.iiug. 
siiys:  "Those  only  wounded,  whether  fatally  or 
otherwise,  dive  and  escape  caj  ture.  The  less 
s(\  I'nHy  wounded  may,  and  in  many  cases  doubt- 
less <lo,  recover  from  their  wounds,  but  in  tlio 
nature  of  thin«^s  many  others  must  die  of  their 
iiijiu'ics.  There  is  a  wide  range  of  chances 
l)i't\veen  an  instantaneously  fatal  or  disabling 
shut  and  a  slight  wound  from  which  the  victim 
in;iy  readily  recover,  with  obviously  a  l.argo 
j)nn)ortion  of  them  on  the  fatal  side  of  the  divi<l- 
iii^-  line."*  This  is  self-evident  when  the  tact  is 
taken  into  consideration  that  the  boat  is  in  almost 
constant  motion,  and  the  mark  is  the  small  head 
i»t'a  seal  among  the  waves  thirty,  forty,  fifty,^  or, 
wIk'U  a  rifie  is  used,  even  a  hundred  yards'  from 
the  hunter.  Four  other  conditions  also  modify 
this  possibility  of  loss;  first,  the  state  of  the 
weather,  for  if  the  water  is  rough  the  boat  and 


'  Articl.i  by  Dr.  Allon,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  409. 
»  T.  T.  WillianiN,  Vol.  II,  p.  4S)4. 
»T.T.  Williiims,  Vol.  II,  p.  503, 


102 


PKLAGIC    HKALIXO. 


0'>;. 


^i^m^'v  t. 


vv.ittiniiiiK.  tho  «0!il  liaviii<>^  inoro  motion  \\w  luirriMitJi^c  nf 
thoHi!  killed  (H*  sfmiiuMl  hy  tlio  shot  is  niucli  less 
than  when  the  sea  is  smooth;'  second,  the  con- 
dition of  the  seal  shot  at,  tor  if  breechinji-,  tlic 
shot  l)ein<;^  at  the  body  is  not  as  liable  to  paraly/c 
the  animal,  thoug'h  it  may  bo  as  fatal  as  when 
the  seal  is  asleep  on  the  water  with  only  a  portinn 
of  its  head  ex[)osed  as  a  mark;-  third,  the  skill 
of  the  hnnter  is  also  to  be  considered;'  iiiid 
fonrtli,  whether  or  not  the  seals  are  wild  iiiiil 
hard  to  approach,  in  which  case  the  hnnter  is 
from  necessity  comj)elled  to  fire  at  lon^'  ranjic. 
The  Indian  hnnters,  with  their  spears,  who  mic 
forced  to  approach  much  nearer  the  }^ame  tluni  m 
white  hunter  armed  with  rifle  r  ahot<,''un,  sju-iik 
particularly  of  the  increased  timidity  of  the  scmIs 
since  firearms  have  been  used  in  takinj^-  tluin.' 
They  also  state  that  nnmy  seals  taken  by  tlitin 
have  shot  ind)edded  in  their  bodies, '^  and  some  nw 
badlv  wounded."  This,  besides  beini^-  evidence 
of  the  g-reat  inimber  wounded  and  lost,  naturally 
ten<ls  to  inakinj^  the  seals  fearful  of  the  approiuli 
of  man.     Not  only  has  the  increase  in  the  nuiii- 


•i^k 


SE8ULTB. 


193 


1)01*  of  white  liiinters  in  tlio  last  low  years  made  Wounding, 
the  Heals  much  wiMer  than  before  firearmB  were 
used,  but  it  has  also  added  largely  to  th'>  number 
of  inexperienced  hunters  engaged  in  sealing.  It 
is  only  necessary,  in  order  to  show  how  much 
the  unskillful  outnumber  the  skillful  hunters,  to 
refer  to  the  agreement  entered  into  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Sealers'  Association  of  Victoria,  British 
Columbia,  for  the  season  of  1891;  the  portion  of 
the  agreement  referring  to  this  matter  is  as 
follows:  "We  also  bind  ourselves  not  to  take 
more  than  three  experienced  hunters  in  tlie  seal- 
ing business  on  each  vessel  represented  by  us, 
said  hunters  to  be  engaged  at  the  scale  or  lay 
adopted  by  this  Association,  as  hereinbefore  par- 
ticularly described;  and  we  also  agree  that  all 
hunters  required  in  excess  of  the  three  hunters 
above  mentioned  for  each  vessel  shall  be  new 
lien  at  the  business  of  seal  hunting,  and  shall  be 
engaged  at  the  same  scale  or  lay  hereinbefore 
mentioned,  and  this  clause  shall  apply  to  all  ves- 
sels owned  or  controlled  by  the  members  of  this 
Association,  whether  clearing  from  the  port  of 
Victoria  or  other  ports  in  Canada  or  the  United 
States,  or  any  port  where  any  vessel  owned 
or  controlled  by  any  member  of  this  Association 
may  be  fitting  out  for  sealing  on  this  coast."^ 

I  See  British  Blue  Boolt,  U.  8.  No.  1  (1891),  C-6253,  p.  82. 
2716 ^25 


..h- 


^^■■H. 


iisl^- 


194 

Wounding. 


Sinking. 


PELAGIC   SEALING. 

The  number  of  hunters  thus  allowed  to  a  vessel 
is  therefore  about  one-half  the  number  of  those 
actually  taken  on  a  vessel  employing  white 
hunters. 

Besides  those  lost  by  wounding,  in  many  cases, 
others  killed  outright  are  not  taken,  because  tin; 
specific  gravity  of  the  seal  being  greater  than 
water^  it  sinks  before  it  can  be  secured.'^  In  order 
to  save  as  many  of  the  sinking  seals  as  is  possible, 
each  boat  carries  a  gaff, '  with  a  handle  from  four 
to  six  feet  long,  with  which  to  grapple  the  carcass, 

if  the  point  where  it  sank  can  be  reached  in  time 
to  do  so.*  Of  course  in  securing  a  sinking  seal 
nuich  depends  on  the  distance  from  which  the 
seal  was  shot,  the  condition  of  the  water,  whether 
rough  or  smooth,  and  whether  or  not  darkened 
by  the  blood  of  the  animal,^  as  also  the  skill  ot 
the  hunter  in  marking  with  his  eye  the  place 
where  the  seal  sank.  It  can,  therefore,  be  seen 
that  the  range  of  possible  and  probable  lo.^s 
in  case  the  seal  is  killed  outright  is  certainly 
large,  though  not  so  great  as  when  the  seal  is 
wounded. 

I  Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  in,  Vol.  I,  p.  409. 

■'  Thomas  Rro\vn(N.t.  1),  Vol.  II,  p.  31(t;  H.'iiiliaidt  Blcidncr,  Vol. 
II,  i».  315;  John  VV.  Smith,  v,,!.  II,  p.  333;  John  Woodruff,  Vol.  11, 
p.  50<5. 

3  T.  T.  Willinms,  Vol.  II,  p.  r.04;  L.  G.  Shopard,  Vol.  II,  p.  18S. 

*T.  T.  Wil'innis,  Vol.  II,  p.  r.04;  Henry  Mason,  Vol.  II,  p.  4ti5; 
James  T<afliu,  Vol.  II,  p.  451. 

nienry  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  318. 


m 


RESULTS. 


195 


Under  the  circumstances,  it  is  most  difficult    Percentage  lost 

t>t'  those  killed. 

to  fix  tlie  actual  immber  of  seals  destroyed  and 
,)t  secured  by  hunters  using  fire  arms;  but 
it  is  a  conservative  estimate  to  say  that  such 
liunters  lose  at  least  two  out  of  every  three 
seals  shot  by  them.  Charles  Chalall,  a  seal 
hunter,  says:  "The  average  hunter  would  get 
one  out  of  every  three  seals  shot;  a  poor  hunter 
not  nearly  so  many."^  Thomas  Gibson,  a  seal 
hunter,  or  engaged  in  the  sealing  business,  since 
1881,  says:  "An  ordinary  hunter  would  not  get 
more  than  one  out  of  every  three  or  four  that  he 
killed."^  Daniel  McLean  states  "that  iibout  one- 
tliird  are  taken;'"  and  Capt.  Martin  Benson,  of 
the  sealing  schooner  James  G.  Swan,  says  about 
sixty-six  per  cent,  are  lost.*  These  men  are  all 
hunters  of  long  experience,  and  their  statements 


place          H 

are  not  only  supported  by  many  others,*  but 

Q  seen          H 

numerous  witnesses  give  the  number  lost  at  a 

e   loss         H 

nuich  larger  figure.     E.  W.  Soron,  mate  of  a 

'tainly          H 

sealing  vessel  in    1888,    says:    "We  only  got 

seal  is         H 

about  one  out  of  every  five  killed."*    Thomas 

I 

Brown  (No.   1),   a  boat-puller  for  three  years, 

■ 

'  Vol.  I,',  p.  411. 

ner,  Vol.              ^B 

'Vol.  II,  p.  432. 

■ 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  443. 

E 

<Vol.  II.  p.  40.5. 

■ 

''Tliomas  Lyons,  Vol.  II,  p.  400;  Rcrnhardt  Bleidner,  Vol.  II,  p. 

:,  p.  4tir);         ■ 

3ir.;M.L.W!i8lilmna',  Vol.  II,p.  4«!t;MaitiiiHiiiiiiou,  Vol.II,p.445. 

■ 

•  Vol.  II,  p.  479. 

196 


PELAGIC   SEALING. 


A^  m^igP'; 


mi 


, ,&4 

IH*^-'.'-"''' 


Ji^J''''." 


out  of  six  that  we  killed."^  Caleb  Lindalil,  a  seal 
huuter,  says:  "On  an  average  a  hunter  gets  ono 
seal  out  of  four.  I  have  known  of  poor  hunters 
loosing  nine  out  of  ten."^  Henry  Mason,  also  a 
seal  hunter,  says:  "I  do  not  think  they  would 
get  more  than  one  seal  out  of  every  six  or  seven 
they  shot,  and  sometimes  only  one  out  of  ten."^ 
To  these  statements  are  added  many  others  b}- 
competent  and  experienced  witnesses,  whicli 
may  be  found  in  the  Appendix  hereto  aimexed.* 
When  the  estimate,  therefore,  is  placed  at  sixty- 
*  six  seals  unsecured  out  of  every  hundred  killed 

with  fire  arms,  the  probability  is  that  the  per- 
centage lost  is  even  more  Certainly  this  per- 
centage is  constantly  increasing,  for  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  sealing  fleet  in  the  last  two  years 
has  increased  the  number  of  unskillful  hunters, 
and  the  constant  hunting  of  the  herd  has  made 
the  seals  wilder  each  year  than  the  year  before.* 
Besides  the  great  waste  of  life  caused  by  tlic 
present  method  of  sealing,  another  feature  of 
pelagic  hunting  adds  greatly  to  its  destiiictivo 
effect  upon  the  Alaskan  seal  herd,  namely,  tlie 

'  (No.  1),  Vol.  II,  p.  319. 
•Vol.  II,  p.  456. 
"Vol.  II,  p.  465. 

<  William  Parker,  Vol.  II,  p.  344;  Olaf  T.  Kvam,  Vol.  II,  p.23G; 
Willifuu  Mc'lsiiuc,  Vo'i.  II,  j).  4(>l;  (ii-oiKH  Uwlier,  Vol.  II,  p.  291. 
•Thoinus  Blown  (No.  1),  Vol.  II,  p.  319. 


Destruction 
female  seals. 


of 


RESULTS. 


197 


fact  that  from  eiglity  to  ninety  per  cent  of  the  Destruction  of 
.seals  killed  in  the  oi)en  sea  are  females,  the 
majority  of  which  are  either  pregnant,  or  having 
been  delivered  of  their  pups,  are  the  sole  means  of 
sustenance  for  their  offspring.  The  sex  of  a  seal 
can  not  be  told  when  it  is  in  the  water,  except 
an  old  bull  seal,  who  can  be  recognized  by  his 
me}  Under  these  circumstances  it  is  impossible 
to  discriminate  as  to  sex,^  and  no  effort  is  made 
to  do  so,  the  hunters  shooting  or  spearing  every 
seal  that  approaches  the  boat.*  On  this  point 
there  is  a  large  aiTay  of  testimony  to  be  found 
ill  the  Appendix.  Rear-Admiral  Sir  M.  Culme- 
Seymour,  in  a  communication  to  the  British  Ad- 
miralty, says,  in  relation  to  this  matter:  "I  may 
mention  that  female  seals  can  not  be  distinguished 
from  males  when  killed  asleep  on  the  water  at 
sea."*  As  has  already  been  shown,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  females  of  the  herd  is  the  principal 
cause  of  the  decrease,^  and  the  full  extent  of  the 
pernicious  effects  of  pelagic  sealing  is  clearly 
shown  on  examination  of  the  sex  of  the  seals 
taken  by  the  sealing  vessels. 

I  J.  A.  Bradley,  Vol.  II,  p.  227;  Chickiuoff  et  al.,  Vol.  II,  p.  219; 
F.  F.  Feeucy,  Vol.  II,  p.  220. 

-  K.  W.  Soron,  Vol.  II,  p.  479 ;  CLarh's  Peterson,  Vol.  II,  p.  345. 
Urosaroff,  et  al.,  Vol.  II,  p.  234;  N.  Hodgson,  Vol.  II,  p.  367;  E. 
Morchoad,  Vol.  II,  p.  467. 

'  IiK  losure  3  in  No.  3,  British  Blue  Book,  U.  8.  No.  2  (1890), 
C-(ii:il,  p.  4. 

''Ante,  p.  177. 


-'4,^.. 
1 


Mm 


198 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


T«st 
British 


iinony 
furriers, 


l^ 


M 


IH,i  r     ^40  '    I 


t  r 


y'kpAi 


of  The  first  witnesses  to  receive  consideration  on 
tliis  point  are  those  who  have  handled  and  sorted 
the  "Northwest"  or  pelagic  catch.  The  skins  of 
males  and  females  can  be  readily  distinguished 
from  each  other  by  those  at  all  experienced  in 
the  fur  trade.  ^ 

Sir  George  Curtis  Lampson,  head  of  the  firm 
of  C.  M.  Lampson  &  Co.,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
largest  of  the  London  fur  houses,  states  that  "the 
skins  of  the  Northwest  catch  are  largely  the  skins 
of  female  seals."  ^  Mr.  H.  S.  Bevington,  head  of 
the  London  firm  of  Bevington  &  Morris,  fur 
dealers,  which  was  organized  in  1726,  says:  "The 
skins  of  the  Northwest  catch  are  at  least  eighty 
per  cent  of  them  the  skins  of  the  female  animal,* 
and  that  prior  to  and  in  preparation  of  his  deposi- 
tion "he  carefully  looked  through  two  large  lots 
of  skins  now  in  his  Warehouse  for  the  especial 
purpose  of  estimating  the  percentage  of  female 
skins  found  among  the  Northwest  catch." '  Mr. 
Walter  Edward  Martin,  head  of  the  English  firm 
of  C.  W.  Martin  &  Sons,  the  largest  dressing  and 
dyeing  house  of  fur-seal  skins  in  London,  and 
successors  of  Martin  &  Teichmann,  gives  the 
percentage  of  females  in  the  pelagic  catch  at 

'  George  Liebes,  Vol.  II,  p.  511;  B.  H.  Stornfels,  Vol.  II,  p.  522. 
•Vol.  II,  p.  565. 
•Vol.  II,  p.  552. 


RESULTS. 


199 


seventy-five  to  eighty  per  cent.*    Mr.  Emil  Teich-    Testimony  of 

British  tumors. 

mann,  of  the  firm  of  C.  M.  Lampson  &  Co.,  and 
formerly  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Martin  &  Teich- 
mann,  mentioned  above,  states  "that  practically 
the  whole  of  the  adult.  Northwest  catch,  seals 
were  the  skins  of  female  seals."^  Mr.  Henry 
Poland,  head  of  the  London  fur  firm  of  P.  R. 
Poland  &  Son,  says  that  a  very  large  proportion 
of  the  adult  skins  of  the  Northwest  catch  are 
"obviously  the  skins  of  female  animals."'  Mr. 
George  Rice,  engaged  for  twenty-seven  yeai"s  in 
the  dressing  and  dyeing  of  seal  skins  in  the  city  of 
London,  and  who  has  handled  a  large  proportion 
of  the  Northwest  skins,  says:  "That  in  the  North- 
west catch  from  eighty-five  to  ninety  per  cent 
of  the  skins  are  of  the  female  animal."*  And  Mr. 
WilHam  C.  B,  Stamp,  who  has  been  a  London  fur 
merchant  for  thirty  years,  estimates  the  percent- 
age of  females  in  the  catch  of  seaHng  vessels  to 
be  "at  least  seventy-five  percent"  and  probably 
more.*  All  the  above  prominent  English  fun-iers 
are  subjects  of  Her  Britaimic  Majesty.  George 
Bantle,  who  has  been  a  sorter  and  packer  of  raw 
seal  skins  for  twenty  years,  gives  the  principal 
cliaracteristics  by  which  the  skins  of  the   two 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  569. 

»  Vol.  II,  p.  581. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  571. 

*  Vol.  II,  p.  573.    See  also  Isaac  Liebes,  Vol.  II,  p.  453. 

"Vol.  II,  p.  575.  fc 


ir- 


% 


200 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


■   --u-'.   ■*■■ 


,.    ■.'^^'., 


^^i 


Hil ,-.  >'■  ■■ 


tBl-ji 


Test  i  111  o  11  v  of  sexes  can  be  (leterniinetl/ as  do  als(»  Mr.  John 

iii'itish  fiirriei'M. 

J.  Pholan^  and  Mr.  William  Wiepert,''  both 
experienced  furriers.  Mr.  Alfred  Eraser,  a  sub- 
ject of  Her  Britannic  Majesty,  and  a  member  of 
the  London  firm  of  C.  M.  Lampson  &  Co.,  says: 
"That  he  would  have  no  difficulty  whatever  in 
separating  the  skins  of  the  'Northwest'  catch 
from  the  skins  of  the  'Alaska'  catch  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  they  are  the  skins  almost  exclu- 
sively of  females."  This  fact  that  the  Northwest 
skins  are  so  largely  the  skins  of  females  is  further 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in  many  of  the  early 
sales  of  such  skins  they  are  classified  in  deponent's 
books  as  the  skins  of  "females."* 

Sir  George  Baden-Powell,  one  of  the  British 
Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  addressed  a  letter  to 
the  London  Times,  which  appeared  in  that  papei- 
November  30,  1889,  in  which  he  says:  "Their 
(the  Canadian  sealers')  catch  is  made  far  out  at 
sea,  and  is  almost  entirely  composed  of  females." 
On  the  29th  day  of  April,  1891,  Mr.  C.  Haw- 
kins, a  subject  of  Her  Britannic  Majesty, 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury, 
in  which  he  states  that  "since  about  the  year 
1885  we  have  received  in  this  country  (England) 
large  numbers  of  seal  skins  known  in  the  trade 

>  Vol.  II,  p.  508. 

•  Vol.  II,  p.  519. 
3  Vol.  II,  p.  535.  .        .        • 

♦  Vol.  II,  p.  558. 


Other  British 
tcstiiiiouy. 


RESULTS. 


201 


iiiouy. 


iis  Northwest  skins,  the  same  liaviiiff  been  taken,  ^,\^*'^  FiritisU 

'  "  testimuny. 

ill  the  open  sea,  and,  from  appearances  that  are 
uiiinistakable  to  the  initiated,  are  exclusively  the 
skins  of  feniale  seals  preg^nant."* 

And  the  Canadian  Minister  of  Marine  and  Canadiau  testi- 
I'isheries,  to  whom  the  letter  was  referred,  states 
"that  the  testimony  produced  by  Mr.  Hawkins 
ill  this  connection  is  quite  in  accord  with  the 
iiit'onnation  hitherto  obtained."^  In  the  Cana- 
dian Fisheries  Report  of  1886  the  following 
statement  ai)pears:  "There  were  killed  this 
}ear  so  far  from  forty  to  fifty  thousand  fur-seals, 
which  have  been  taken  by  schooners  from  San 
Francisco  and  Victoria.  The  greatest  number 
wore  killed  in  Bering  Sea,  and  wore  nearly  all 
cows  or  female  seals.'"  And  again  in  the  said 
report  for  1888  appears  the  statement  that  the 
fact  can  not  be  denied  "that  over  sixty  per  cent 
(»f  the  entire  catch  of  Bering  Sea  is  made  up  of 
fciiiale  seals."*  Rear- Admiral  Hotliam,  Royal 
Navy,  in  a  dispatch  to  the  British  Admiralty, 
dated  September  10,  1890,  states  that  he  per- 
sonally SKW  Capt.  C.  Cox,  of  the  schooner  Sap- 
phire, Captain  Petit,  of  the  schooner  Manj  Taylor^ 
Captain  Ilackett,  of  the  schooner  Annie  Seymour^ 

'  Hritish  Rluo  Book.  U.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  C-6633,  p.  5. 

-'Biitish  Hluo  Book,  U.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  0-66*5,  p.  75. 

^  I'iigo  267. 

'  Ui'iiort  of  the  Department  of  Fislieries,  Domiuion  of  Canada 

(1888),  p.  240 

2716 26 


^^v 


m^ 


m 


tr'=?i 


*"i 


a;i«'. 


^itm 


"^F Jf",  I       i,. 


202 


I'ELAGir    SEALING. 


Canadian  testi-aiid  Cant.  W.  Cox,   of  the  schooner  Triumph, 

mouy. 

and  that  "  they  also   mentioned    (anion<r  other 
things)  that  two -thirds  of  their  catch  consisted  (»f 
female  seals,  but  that  after  the  1st  July  very 
few  indeed  were  captured  'in  pup.'"^ 
Tpstimn n y    of     Herman  Liebes  for  thirtv-five  years  enc-affed  in 

Amciicaii  rnrriors.  ^      ^  ,/  j  o    c^ 

the  seal-skin  industry,  and  the  largest  purchaser 
of  the  skins  brought  into  Victoria,  British  Co- 
lumbia, by  sealing  vessels,''  says  that  he  "hiis 
frequently  requested  the  captains  of  poachin<>- 
vessels  sailing  from  the  port  of  Victoria  and  other 
ports,  to  obtain  the  skins  of  male  seals,  and  stated 
that  he  would  give  twice  as  much  money,  or  even 
more,  for  such  skins  than  he  w^ould  pay  for  tlio 
skins  of  female  seals.  Each  and  all  of  the  cap- 
tains so  approached  laughed  at  the  idea  of  catch- 
ing male  seals  in  the  open  sea,  and  said  that  it 
was  impossible  to  do  it,  and  that  they  could  not 
catch  male  seals  unless  they  could  get  upon  the 
islands,  which,  except  once  in  a  long  while,  tlie}' 
were  unable  to  do  in  consequence  of  the  restric- 
tions imposed  by  the  United  States  Government; 
because,  they  said,  the  males  were  more  active, 
and  could  outswhn  any  boat  which  their  several 
vessels  had,  and  that  it  was  only  the  female  seals 
who  were  heavy  with  you..g  which  could  be 
caught."' 


>  British  Blue  Book,  U.  S.  No.  1  (I8ftl),  C-6253,  p.  17. 
» Vol.11,  p.  513;    British  Blue  Book,  U.  S.  No.  1  (1891),  C-6253, 
p.  80 ;  Vol.  II,  p.  564.  =>  Vol.  II,  p.  512. 


f   I 


RESULTS. 


203 


Ik'sldoH  the  testimony  of  the  witnesses  above  ExiiiniimtH.ii  of 
Stated,  3,550  seal  skins  were  sliipped  this  yeari«"J^- 
Iroin  Vietoria,  liritisli  Cohiinhia,  to  Treadwell  & 
Co.,  ^^i'  Albany,  New  York,  being  a  portion  of 
tlie  "spring  catch,"  so  called,  of  1892,  taken  by 
the  sealing  fleet  along  the  Pacific  coast.  At  tho 
rccpiest  and  under  the  direction  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  these  skins  were 
exaiTiined  by  an  expert  in  handling  seal  skins, 
Mr.  John  J.  Phelan,  for  twenty-four  years 
engaged  in  the  fur  business,  for  the  purpose  of 
determining  the  sex  of  the  seals  from  which 
they  were  taken.  Such  examinations  resulted 
in  showing  that  of  the  3,550  skins,  2,167  were 
taken  from  female  seals,  395  from  male  seals, 
and  the  remainder,  988,  from  pups,  seals  under 
two  years  of  age,^  whose  sex  could  not  easily 
be  determined,  which  shows  that  the  proportion 
of  females  in  the  catch  of  a  sealing  vessel  is  to 
tlie  males  as  11  to  2,  or  84 J  per  cent.  The 
examiner  of  these  skins  also  shows  how  the 
difference  in  the  sex  can  be  readily  determined.^ 
Mr.  Cliarles  Behlow,  for  thirty-four  years 
engaged  in  the  handling  and  sorting  of  seal 
skins,  at  the  request  of  the  Govenmient  of  the 
United  States,  examined,  in  June,  1892,  four  lots 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  520. 


lilf 


B 


I 


w 


204 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


Kxnniinatioii  of  of  skiiis  laiulcd  at  San  Francisco  from  sealiii}' 

])«'l:igic    vatch    of 

>8'J^'  vessels,  being  the  "spring  catch"  for  1892  ot 

said  vessels.  These  lots  aggregated  813  skins, 
which  on  examination  proved  to  consist  of  OSl 
skins  of  adult  female  seals,  49  skins  of  adult 
male  seals,  and  95  skins  of  pup  seals  less  thiui 
one  year  old.^  The  proportion  of  cows  in  thosi; 
lots  is  shown  to  be  to  the  males  as  about  14  t<» 
1,  or  93  per  cent.  The  increased  proportion  of 
females  in  this  examination  over  the  examination 
made  in  New  York  is  explainable  from  the  fact 
that  the  New  York  examiner  did  not  extend  liis 
examination  to  seals  under  two  years  of  ago, 
while  the  San  Francisco  examiner  classed  as 
pups  only  the  seals  less  than  one  year  old  On 
the  13th  of  July,  1892,  the  same  expert  examined 
the  catch  of  the  schooner  Emma  and  Louise, 
consistuig  of  1 ,342  skins,  taken  this  spring  along 
the  Northwest  coast.  Of  the  number,  1,112  wore 
the  skins  of  females,  132  of  males,  and  98  of 
gray  pups  less  than  one  year  old.^  The  propoi- 
tion  of  female  seals  taken  by  this  vessel  as 
compared  with  the  males  is  thus  shown  to  be  89 
per  cent.  George  Liebes,  a  furrier,  who  lias 
handled  many  thousands  of  the  Northwost 
skins,  in  connection  with  his  deposition  attaclios 

'Vol.  11,  p.  402. 


m^^' 
M%^ 


m 


RESULTS. 


2()r) 


oxhn)it8  HliowinjT    i)lainly    how,    even    in    the    Kxmiiiiiiition 
dressed  and  dyed  skins,  tlie  sex  of  the  animal  ^'*"^" 
can   be   readily   determined,*   and  also,  in  the 
cases  of  the  female,  whether  the  animal  was  in 
u  state  of  virginity,  pregnancy,  or  maternity, 
the  comparative  size  of  the  nipples  being  the 
test,  which  in  the  case  of  the  two  skins  of  males 
(bachelor  and  bull)  are  scarcely  observable. 
Added  to  this  testimony  of  experienced  fur-    TrHtimony 

lielagiv  Bi-alci'H. 

riers,  a  large  number  of  those  engaged  in  seal 
liunting,  whose  depositions  are  api)ended  hereto, 
attirra  that  the  seals  taken  by  them  are  princi- 
l)ally  females.  Luther  T.  Franklin,  a  seal  hunter 
(»f  three  years'  experience,  states  that  about 
ninety  or  ninety-iive  per  cent  of  those  secured 
are  females.^  Daniel  McLean,  an  experienced 
sealer,  says  that  about  ten  in  a  hundred  of  the 
seals  taken  are  males."  Alexander  McLean,  on 
l)eing  asked  the  percentage  of  females  in  a  catch, 
replied:  "Say  I  would  bring  two  thousand  seals 
in  here,  I  may  have  probably  about  a  hundred 
males;  that  is  a  large  average."*  Charles  Lut- 
jens,  also  a  seal  hunter,  places  the  average  of 
females  taken  at  ninety  per  cent,^  and  in  this  he 

>  Vol.  II,  p.  512. 

»  Vol,  II.  p.  425. 

'  Daniel  McLean,  Vol.  II,  p.  444. 

«  Vol.  II,  p.  437. 

*  Charles  Lutjeiis,  Vol.  II,  p.  458. 


of 
of 


of 


20G 


PELAGIC   SEALING. 


'-s,.:--^; 


-  \:  • 


■^^■<^ 


"it' 


ail,  '  .  '"'iiiBilu    1 


miiiy 


m^:^ 


Kxiiiiiiniitiiiii    of 


riitcli 

H('i/.U(I. 


of      VI-HOfU 


T.Mtiiiiony  Otis  suiipoi'ted  by  many  others  of  the  same  profe«- 
sion.*  ( )ther  sealers,  without  fixing  a  percentage, 
state  that  the  seals  taken  are  "principally""  or 
"most  all"''  females. 

'^riie  skins  iU*M  upon  vessels  seized  by  United 
States  ofllicers  in  Bering  Sea,  which  were  subse- 
quently examined,  also  show  a  similar  ratio  of 
destruction  of  female  life.  Captain  Shepard  says 
that  over  twelve  thousand  skins  taken  from  seal- 
ing vessels  seized  in  1887  and  1889  were  exam- 
ined, and  at  least  two-thirds  or  three-fourths 
were  the  skins  of  females.*  Mr.  A.  P.  Loud, 
assistant  Treasury  agent,  who  in  1887  captured 
the  sealing  schooner  Angel  Dolly,  personally 
examined  the  skins  found  on  board,  and  he  states 
that  "about  eighty  per  cent  were  the  skins  of 
females.""^  Capt.  A.  W.  Lavender,  assistant 
Treasury  agent  on  St.  George  Island,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1891,  made  a  personal  examination  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy-two  skins,  the  catch  of 
the  schooner  Challenge  in  Bering  Sea,  and  of  the 
whole  number  oidy  three  were  the  skins  of  male 
seals.'    It  is  only  necessary  to  examine  such  an 

'William  Shoii.  Vol.  II,  p.  348;  F.  Jolinaon,  Vol.  II,  p.  441;  H. 
HarniHDii,  Vol.  Up.  442;  A.  J.  Hoffm.-in,  Vol.  II,  p.  446. 

nVilliiir"  K  Long,  Vol.  II,  p.  457;  James  Keau,  Vol.  II,  p  448; 
James  Kt'uneJy,  Vol.  II,  p.  449. 

3  George  Zaiuiuitt,  Vol.  II,  p.  307;  Adolph  Sayers,  Vol.  II,  p.  473; 
ThoiuuB  Brown  (No.  1),  Vol.  II,  p.  319. 

<  Vol.  II,  p.  189. 

•  Vol.  II,  p.  39. 

•Vol.  II,  p.  265. 


RKHULTS. 


207 


array  f>f  teatinionv  as  the  toroffoinef  to  detormine    Kxnmin 
tlie  cause  of  the  rapid  decrease  hi  the  Alaskan  8«'i!«<i- 
seal  herd. 

Hut  ill  addition  to  tliis  crreat  slauffhter  of  the    i^'N^r"/' 

"  o  preguHitt 

producing  sex,  another  waste  of  life  is  caused,  as 
already  stated,  through  the  pregnancy  or  mater- 
nity of  a  large  proportion  of  these  female  seals. 
As  long  ago  as  1869  Capt.  C.  M.  Scamnion,  of 
the  United  States  Revenue  Service,  and  author 
of  "The  Marine  Animals  of  the  Northwestern 
Coast  of  North  America"  (published  in  1874), 
observed  that  nearly  all  the  seals  taken  by  the 
IndiaTL  near  Vancouver  Island  were  pregnant 
females,  and  August  30,  1869,  he  addressed  a 
letter  on  the  subject  of  the  double  slaughter 
resulting  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury/ 
Bowachup,  a  Makah  Indian  hunter,  says:  "I 
never  killed  any  full-grown  cows  on  the  coast 
that  did  not  have  pups  in  them."^  Daniel 
i\IcLean  says  :  "  The  females  are  mostly  all  with 
pup."'  P.  S.  Weittenhiller,  owner  of  the  sealing 
schooner  Clara,  states  that  of  sixty  seals  taken 
this  season  (1892)  forty-six  were  pregnant 
females.*    James  Kiernan,  a  sealer,  states  that 

1  Vol.  II,  p.  474. 
•Vol.  II,  p.  376. 
»  Vol.  II,  p.  444. 
*Vol.  II,  p.  274. 


alion  of 
vesMfli* 


tion     of 
rfiiiult'8. 


y^i        r 


^.  -i: 


is'r  £!»,-.*!' 


208 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


F^'<l 


l^Sili:^ 


''M'^'^ 


I?i'  a  s  o  n  pre  g- 
iiiiiit  fi'iiiiili'N  HIT 
taken. 


Destruction    offlie  seals  killed  in  the  North  Pacific  are  mostly 

pn'guant  t'vinales. 

females  carrying-  their  young.^  James  Jamieson, 
a  sealer  of  five  years'  experience,  makes  the  same 
statement.^  Frank  Morreau,  with  five  or  six 
years'  experience  as  a  seal  hunter,  says  that 
about  seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  cows  taken  are 
"in  pup,"^  and  many  others  make  similar  state- 
ments.* 

One  reason  why  such  a  large  proportion  of 
pregnant  female  seals  are  taken  along  the  coast 
is  clearly  stated  by  Andrew  Laing  in  his  exam- 
ination before  Collector  Milne,  of  the  port  of 
Victoria,  British  Columbia,  the  deponent  being 
recognized  by  the  collector  as  one  of  the  most 
experienced  seal  hunters.  On  being  questioned 
as  to  whether  he  noticed  "any  marked  diff'ereuce 
in  the  manner  the  feinales  carrying  their  young 
travel  as  compared  with  the  males,"  he  replied: 
"The  only  difference  I  coidd  see  is  that  they 
will  travel  very  fast  for  a  little  distance,  and  then 
turn  up  and  rest."  And  again  being  asked 
whether  he  thought  the  pregnant  female  more 
shy  than  the  male,  he  answered,  "No,  I  think 

'Vol.  II,  p.  450. 

"Vol.  II,  p.  329. 

^Vol.  II,  p.  468. 

nVilliam  Short,  Vol.  II,  p.  348;  Ellaliash,  Vol.  II,  p.  385;  Peter 
Sinie8,Vol.  II,  p.  4/6;  Thomas  l?rowu  (No.  l),Vol.  II,  p.  310;  Thonia.s 
Lyons.  Vol.  JI,  p.  460;  .John  A.  Swain,  Vol.  II,  p.  350;  -lames  Nii  1 1- 
jini,Vo1.  II.  p.  272;  IJondtns.Vol.  II,  p.  242;  Amos  Mill.  Vol.  II,  p.  LV); 
Simeon  Chin-koo-tin,  Vol.  II,  p.  256 ;  Henry  Brown,  Vol.  II.  p.  317. 


m 


RESULTS. 


209 


tliey  are  not  more  sJiv.     Tl»e  t'enuile  is  alwavis    Ucason  |.r<j. 
•'^  '  .  """'  •'•'"'•''lis  "I I' 

inclined  to  be  slee})y.     The  male  is  always  ont"''«"- 

tlie  watch."*  Capt.  J.  1).  McDonald,  owner  and 
commander  of  the  sealing-  schooner  Adveuturt 
who  hunts  from  San  Fiancisco  to  Kadiak,  savs: 
"Most  of  the  seals  taken  by  me  ha>e  been 
it'iuales  with  pup;"  giving  as  a  reason  that  the 
female  seals  are  easier  to  kill  than  the  males.^  It 
is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  female  seal,  when 
pregnant,  is  much  more  exposed  to  danger  than 
the  male,^  and  this  fact  is  also  noted  by  the  Indian 
hunters  along  the  coast.* 

After  the  1st  of  July  the  cows  are  nearly  all  ..."T*"'!;!,;"",  "^ 
at  the  rookeries,  an<l  having  given  birth  to  their 
young  they  go  into  the  water  in  search  of  food, 
ill  order  that  they  may  be  able  to  supply  their 
otispring  with  nourishment.'  And  as  has  been 
shown,  they  often  go  from  one  hundred  to  two 
liiiiidred  miles  from  the  islands  on  these  excur- 
sions.'* It  is  while  absent  from  the  rookeries 
feeding  that  the}'  fall  a  pre)'  to  the  pelagic  seal 
hunter.^     Rear-Admiral  Sir  M.  Culme-Se}'mour, 

'  British  Bliu'  Hook,  U.  S.  No.  3  (18!»2),  t'-(5«W.5,  \\.  184.     See  also 
,I;iiii('«  Sloan.  Voi.  II,  p.  47"  ;  Isiuic  Liebcs.  Vol.  II.  p.  46i. 
-'  \'ol.  II,  11.  L'lU). 

'Hiitish  ifiiif  B  "ik,  II.  s.  \(..;{,  iwt'j,  c-«t):{r>,  p.  i><4. 

M'iinrlie  Wauk.  Vol.  II,  jt.  L'73;  .JuiueH  Unatajiui,  Vol.  II,  p.  272; 
Simt-oii  Cliin-koo-trlii.  Vo!.  1!,  p,  2.")l). 

'  Jii/f,  p.  115. 

'^AnU',\\.  lit!. 

■  Clmilfs  Chalall.  Vol.  II.  jt.  411;  1'.  frv  Hi  own.  Vol.  II.  ji.  377-378; 
John  Kyle.  Vol.  II.  p.  420;  llmry  Hiown.  \ol.  11,  p.  317-318. 

2710 37 


210 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


.  :!*!.■ 


li 


^!^y^*. 


,;:^g||p;]" 


m 


DestiiKtion    of  in  a  disi)atcli  to    the  Hritisli   Adiuiraltv,  (luted 

uurniiig  i'umulo8.  '■  " 

at  Victoria,  August  24,  18H(),  states  tl«at  tlircc 
British  Coluuibiau  sealing"  schooners  had  hccii 
seized  by  the  United  States  revenue  cruiser 
Conv'm,  seaward  seventy  miles  from  off  the  land, 
killing  female  seals.^  Edward  Shields,  of  Sooke 
District,  Vancouver  Island,  a  hunter  on  the 
British  schooner  Carolina,  which  was  seized  in 
Bering  Sea  in  1880,  states  that  they  were  during: 
the  whole  cruise  out  of  sight  of  land,  adding, 
"The  seals  we  obtained  were  chiefly  females."^ 
Tlie  sealers,  who  have  given  testimony  on  rh'i 
point  in  behalf  of  the  United  States,  agree  th>. 
nearly  all  the  seals  taken  in  Bering  Sea  aic 
mothers  in  milk."'  Moses,  a  Nitnat  Indian 
hunter  from  Vancouver  Island,  in  speaking  of  a 
voyage  he  made  to  Bering  Sea,  says:  **We 
caught  nineteen  hundred  seals,  all  of  which  were 
caj)tured  in  the  sea  close  to  Unalaska;  most  all 
of  them  were  cows  in  milk;  but  when  we  first 
entered  the  sea  we  killed  a  few  cows  that  had 
pups  in  them."*  Charles  Peterson,  a  sealer  with 
four  years'  experience,  after  stating  that  most  all 
the  seals  taken  in  Bering  Sea  were  cows  in  milk, 
adds:  "I    have   seen  the   deck    almost   flooded 


"Hritish  IMiif  M.x.k,  U.S.  No.  2  (IWK)).  ('-(il.31.  p.  1. 
•Hritisli  Hliicliook,  t'.  S.  No.  2  (1H!»0).  ('-6i:!l.  p.  S. 
'  Williniii  n.  Loiisj.  N'ol.  II,  |>.  45M;  Heui'.v  Mason,  \ol.  U,  p.  Jti."); 
E.  1'.  roitfi.  Vol.  II.  p.  317. 
<  Moses.  Vol.  II,  p.  HUI. 


RESULTS. 


21i 


with  milk  while  we  were  skiiiiiiiio'  tlie  seals.'"    iHstnution   of 

iiiirHing  ffiiiulea. 

Ui(']i}ir<l  Dolaii,  a  seal  hunter  who  was  in  Berinjji- 
Sea  in  1885,  says:  "1  saw  the  inilk  flowinfr  on 
tlie  deck  when  we  skinned  them."^  Capt.  L.  G. 
Shepard,  of  the  United  States  Revenue  Marine 
Service,  who  seized  several  vessels  in  Herinw 
Sfa  in  1887  while  tliev  were  eni»a{>ed  insealino- 
states  that  h(;  saw  milk  flowing-  from  the  dead 
cnrcasses  of  seals  lying  on  the  de<;ks  of  vessels  a 
hundred  or  more  miles  from  the  Pribilof  Islands.^ 
Mr.  Robert  H.  McManus,  a  Hritish  subject  and 
resident  of  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  nuide  a 
sealing  vovajje  in  18D1  in  Herino-  Sea  on  the 
Canadian  s'-hooner  Otto  as  a  news})ai>er  corre- 
spondent. During-  the  voyage-  he  kept  a  journal 
of  events,  which  he  has  endxKlied  in  his  deposi- 
tion, hereto  a})pended,  which  contains  his  views  of 
the  matters  which  took  place.^  In  an  entry  made 
August  29,  he  states  the  total  catch  of  the  day 
was  seventeen  seals,  "greater  proj)ortion  cows  in 
tuilk;  horrid  sight,  could  not  stay  the  ordeal  out 
f"!!  all  were  flayed."*  He  subsequently  adds: 
"  't  may  be  safelv  asserted  that  over  three-foiu'ths 
ot  rhe  catch  of  fortv-ei-jiht  were  cows  in  milk; 


'Vol.  1'.  p.  345. 

2  Vol    II,  1).  119. 

3  Vol.  II.  ji.  18!». 
<Vol.  II,  i».  337. 


^ 


M|^.«l«-!l«S 


m 
m 


212 


PELAGIC    SKALINO. 


Ml 


p}- 


i?!"!    -f 


m 


T>«Htvnrtioii   of  this  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles  from  the 

niii'Miiig  I'euiulcs. 

rookeries."'  And  Mr.  Francis  R.  Kin«-H;tll,  son 
of  Sir  William  King-Rail,  K.  C.  B.,  Admiral  in 
the  British  Navy,  who  also  was  cm  the  Otfo  dur- 
ing" this  voyage,  makes  substantially  the  same 
statements.'*  That  a  pup  is  entirely  de])endeiit 
upon  its  mother  for  the  first  three  or  four  montlis 
of  its  life,  and  also  that  a  female  will  not  suckle 
any  pup  save  her  own,  has  already  been  stated. 
npa<i   pui.N    .1      \j;;  a,  result  it  is  evident  that  if  the  mother  is 

tho  I'uokei'ieM. 

d  her  pup  will  die  of  starvation;  and  of  this 
fact  the  evidence  presented  is  unquestionable. 
When  sealing  vessels  began  to  enter  Bering  Sea 
in  pursuit  of  the  seal  herd  (1884-85)  at  that 
same  period  dead  pup  seals  on  the  rookeries 
first  drew  the  attention  f,f  the  residents  of  the 
Pribilof  Islands.  "^ 

Professor  Dall,  who  visited   the  rookeries  in 
>'";i«iV'l,  P"PM880,   says:     ''There  were  not  in  1880  suffi- 

pi  lor  t«)  1884.  '  •' 

cient  dead  pups  scattered  over  the  rookeries 
to  attract  attention,  or  form  a  feature  on  the 
rookery."*  Captain  Bryant,  who  was  on  the 
islands  from  1870  to  1877,  says,  "A  dead  puj) 
was  rarely  seen."^     Mr.  J.  H.  Moulton,  who  was 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  338. 

»  Vol,  II,  p.  333. 

'Niioli  KiukofT,  Vol,  II,  p.  132. 

<Vol.Il,p.23. 

•Vol.  II,  p.  8. 


M 


RESULTS. 


213 


on  St.  ileornre  Island  from  1877  to  1««1,  says:  pj.^^o^dead^ pups 
"'Pliere  were  ]mu'tically  no  dead  pu])s  on  tlie 
n^okeries.  1  do  not  think  I  saw  dnrino-  anv 
one  season  more  tlian  a  dozen."*  Mr.  H.  G.  Otis, 
Treasury  agent  on  the  islands  from  1879  to 
1881,  states  that  "it  was  a  rare  thing  to  find  a 
(lead  pup."^  Mr.  H.  A.  Glidden,  the  Govern- 
ment ag-ent  from  1882  to  1885,  says:  "During 
the  time  I  was  on  the  islands  I  only  .saw  a  very 
few  dead  pups  ou  the  rookeries,  but  the  num- 
l)er  in  1884  was  slightly  more  than  in  former 
years. 

From  this  time  (1884)  forward  dead  pups  on    Timo  of  appear- 

auceut' dead  pups. 

the  rookeries  increased  in  numbers  annually. 
Mr.  T.  F.  Morgan  says:  "From  the  year  1884 
down  to  the  present  period  when  I  left  St.  George 
Island,  there  was  a  marked  increase  in  the  number 
of  dead  pup  seals."*  Mr.  A.  P.  Loud,  assistant 
Treasury  agent  on  the  islands  from  1885  to  1889, 
savs  that  he  can  not  make  a  statement  as  to  the 
number  of  dead  pups  on  the  rookeries  in  1885, 
as  he  was  not  present  that  fall;  but  in  188G  he 
saw  a  large  number  of  dead  pups  lying  about, 
and  that  these  pups  were  very  much  emaciated, 


'Vol.  II,  p.  71. 

»Vol.II,p.87. 

» Vo] .  II,  p.  110.    See  also  John  Armstrong,  Vol.  II,  p.  2. 

<Vol.U,p.64. 


'K  ^v 


'4< 


l^^ 


'ih 


214 


PELAGIC    SKALINO. 


Tinu- (.riii.p«>:n  find  had  eviMeiitly  been  starved  to  death.  ITf 
i'lii'tlier  states  that  the  number  of  dead  pups  in 
l.^'HT  was  inucli  larger  than  in  1886.  In  isss 
there  was  a  less  number  than  in  1887  or  in  1885), 
owing,  he  believes,  to  a  decrease  of  seals  killed 
in  JSering  Sea  that  year ;  but  that  in  188H  the 
increase  again  showed  itself.'  Dr.  W.  S.  Here- 
ford, already  mentioned  ns  the  resident  ])hysician 
on  the  islands  from  1880  to  181)1,  says:  "The 
loss  of  pup  senls  on  the  rookeries  up  to  about 
1884  or  1885  was  companitively  slight,  and  was 
generally  attributed  to  the  death  of  the  mother 
seal  from  natural  causes.  Coincident  with  the 
increase  of  hunting  seals  in  the  sea,  there  was  an 
increase  in  the  death  rate  of  pup  seals  on  the 
rookeries."^ 

Nnnii.or  of  iica.i  y^^  Stanley  Brown,  in  examining  the  rookeries 
in  1891,  tixed  the  number  of  dead  pups  at  be- 
tween fifteen  and  thirty  thousand.^  Captoin 
Cotdson,  who  was  on  the  islands  the  same  year, 
says:  "  Thousands  of  dead  and  dying  pups  were 
scattered  over  the  rookeries."  *  And  Colonel  Mur- 
raj'  fixes  the  number  of  dead  that  year  at  "  not  less 
than  thirty  thousand."^     Other  witnesses  support 

'  Vol.  II,  J).  39. 
"Vol.  II.  1).  32. 
3  Vol.  II,  p.  19. 
*  Vol.  11,1..  J15. 
«  Vol.  U,  p.  74. 


RK8TTI,TS. 


215 


tlu^sc  shitomciit.s  1  lio  rookeries,  sti'cwn  witli  XiuniHT  of  (h-mi 
(lead  Hiul  <lyinj'"  |>ui>s,  wore  also  in  1891  inspected 
hy  the  British  lierinj"'  8ea  Connnissioners.^  And 
Kerrick  Artonianoff',  the  old  chief  of  the  St. 
Paul  natives,  in  speakinj^  of  their  appearance  on 
the  rookeries  durinjr  tiie  last  six  years, says:  "  In 
my  sixty-seven  years'  residenire  on  the  island,  I 
never  before  saw  anything  like  it."'' 
At  the  re(|uest  of  Mr.  Stanley  Brown,*  Dr.  J.  ( *•  /'•""*«  of  "^eati> 

^  ■'  i»(  imps. 

S.  Akerly,  then  physician  on  St.  Paul  Island, 
examined  a  large  number  of  the  dead  bodies,  and 
after  a  careful  and  minute  examination,  which  is 
fully  detailed  by  him  in  his  deposition,'  gives  it 
as  his  opinion  **  that  the  great  mortality  during 
1891  amongst  the  young  seals  on  St.  Paul  Island, 
Bering  Sea,  was  caused  by  the  deprivation  of 
mothers'  milk."  He  sums  up  this  opinion  with 
eight  reasons  why  he  believes  the  young  seals 
(lied  of  starvatifm."  His  opinion  as  to  the  cause 
of  their  death  is  shared  by  many  others  who  had 
iin  opportunity  to  examine  the  dead  and  dying 
})ups  on  the  rookeries."  The  natives  on  the  islands, 


'  .\iiton  Melovedort'.  Vol.  11,  p.  143;  H.  H.  Mclntyre,  Vol,  IT,  p.  .51 ; 
riiaiifs  W.  Price,  Vol.  II,  )».  521;  Afi;Kie  Knsliiii,  Vol.  II,  p.  128; 
Jolin  KiMtis,  Vol.  II,  I).  108;  H.  N.  Clark,  Vol.  II,  p.  159. 

-.Milton  Biirut'M,  Vol.  II,  p.  101. 
Vol.  II.  p.  100. 

'  Vol.  11.  i».  lit. 

■Vol.  II,  p.  95. 

"Vol.  II.  p.  !t6. 
W.  II.  Willifiiiis,  Vol.   II.  p.  94;  .1.  Stniilt-y  Urowii,  Vol.  II,  p. 
lil;   CliarlcsW.  Price,  Vol.11  p.  .-)21 ;  Ajfgic  Kiisliiii.  Vol.  II,  p.  130; 
■loliii  Frati8,  Vol.  II,  p.  109. 


Itil'1 


tS'i2 


216 


PELAGIC    SEALING. 


'•■is>'  - 


ik 


EflVcts  ot'pelag' 
ic  soulius. 


Canst'  of  death  who  liave  UvjmI  tluM'e  tor  nuinv  vcars.  tostifv  tliat 

of  pups,  •    • 

altluni^h  they  have  eaten   seal    meat   all   their 

lives  they  never  knew  of  a  sick  seal  and  n(^\ « r 
heard  from  the  i»ld  residents  of  sickness  aiuonu 
seals.'  This  great  mortality,  therefore,  was  nut 
caused  b}^  an  epidemic  among  the  animals,  for  uo 
dead  adult  seals  were  seen.'- 

The  injurious  and  destructive  effects  of  open- 
sea  sealing,  as  demonstrated  above,  can  be  sum- 
med up  as  follows:  Between  eighty  and  ninety 
per  cent  of  the  seals  taken  are  females;  of  these 
at  least  seventy-live  j)er  cent  are  either  pregnant 
or  nursing  ;  that  the  destruction  of  these  females 
causes  the  death  of  the  unborn  j)up  seals  or  those 
on  the  rookeries  dependent  on  their  mothers  for 
nourishment ;  and,  iinall}',  that  at  least  sixty-six 
per  cent  of  the  seals  killed  by  white  hunters  are 
never  secured.  Besides  this,  the  females  taken 
in  Bering  Sea  have  certainly  in  the  majority  of 
cases  been  impregnated, '  and  their  death  means 
not  only  the  destruction  of  the  pups  on  the  island, 
but  also  of  the  fetus.  Hence,  if  10,000  females 
are  killed  in  one  season,  this  fact  means  not  only 
the  depletion  of  the  herd  by  at  least  17,500  that 


'  Anton  Melovedoft',  Vol.  II,  p.  143.  See  also  Duuiel  Webster, 
Vol.  II,  p.  1S8;  Edward  Hughes.  Vol.  II,  p.  37. 

-Aggie  Knshiu,  Vol.  II,  p.  IL'S;  Nieoli  Krnkoff,  Vol.  II,  p.  133; 
KaiT  Buterin,  Vol.  II,  p.  103;  John  Fratis,  Vol.  II,  p.  107. 

■*Ante,y.  115. 


M 


RKsui/rs. 


217 


year,  but  also  tlie  redtiction  «»t'  tlic  uimial  birtli-  Km.»»K  di  piiny. 
rate  by  7,500  each  t'ollowiiin'  year  tor  probably 
tifteeu  years,  besides  tlie  a<Me(l  loss  of  the  youn;2 
horn  to  the  teniale  |»oitioii  of  the  pups  destroyed, 
which  would  be  an  ever-iu<'reasini»-  quantity.  But 
disrej^ardiufi'  these  last  twt>  important  points,  the 
enormous  destruction  of  seal  life  can  be  readily 
seen  if  we  take  the  tioures  supplied  by  tlie  Cana- 
dian Fisheries  Report  for  ISJIO.'  In  that  year 
there  were  sold  in  Vietttria  alone  about  55,000 
sivins  taken  by  pelagic  sealers;  allowing'  that 
20,000  of  these  were  secured  by  Indian  hunters 
and  only  35,000  by  white  hunters,  the  inunber 
of  seals  actually  killed  would  be  at  least  125,000; 
of  these  80  per  cent,  or  100,000,  would  be  females 
and  75  per  cent  pregnant  or  mothers,  allowing 
one-half  of  these  75,000  pups  thus  destroyed  by 
the  death  of  the  females  to  be  of  that  sex,  the 
total  number  of  the  produchig  sex  kille«l  would 
be  137,500,  and  the  total  loss  to  the  herd  of 
200,000  seals,  for  which  the  sealers  show  but 
55,000  skins.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
55,000  represented  oidy  the  number  of  skins 
sold  hi  Victoria,  which  is  undoubtedly  10,000 
sliort  of  the  actual  number  secured  by  b«^)th  the 
British  and  American  sealing  fleet.  Eacii  year 
also  adds  to  the  destructiveness  of  the  fleet,  for 


271« 28 


'  I'iigi-  183. 


21« 


PROTKC'IION    AND    PKHSKRVATION. 


Ik 


U- 


f^4  v;|;! 


t-S- 


^^^m 


V 


ii 


It;}; 
lt»r!;- JSijiB,  V«S' 


KH<<iHori>.i(i>r. flu,  (.{iptaiiis   in  coininaiul  l)cMMuiiinnr  Tuoro  juid 

ic  btaliug. 

jiioro  familiar  witli  tlie  ha))its,  track,  and  feediiij:- 
jrroimdH  of  tlie  niij^nitinjj^  herd,  are  ablo  to  reach 
the  various  points  off  the  coast  at  the  time  wIkmi 
the  main  body  are  at  tliese  hicahties,  and  harass 
them  incessantly  on  their  way  from  the  Farsd- 
lones  to  Bering  Sea.^  The  effect  of  pelagic  seal- 
ing is  briefly  and  truly  sununarized  by  Kai]» 
Buterin,  the  native  chief  of  St.  Paul  Island,  in 
these  words:  "Schooners  kill  cows,  pups  die,  and 
seals  are  gone."^ 

With  such  wasteful  destruction  the  Alasknii 
seal  herd  must  either  be  soon  exterminated,  or 
else  a  sufficient  and  full  protection  given  from 
the  i)ernicious  methods  employed  by  open-sea 
seal  hunters. 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 
OTHEK    SKAL    HERDS. 

Destruction.  The  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  seals  in, the 

waters  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  Bering  Sea  can 
not  fail  to  produce  a  result  similar  to  that 
observed  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  where  the 
fur-seals  have,  except  at  a  few  localities,  become, 

>  Report  of  Cii]>t.  C.  L.   Hooper  to  the  Treuaury  Department, 
datedJuue  14,  1892,  Vol.  1,  p.  499. 
■■'  Vol.  II,  p.  103. 


OTHKIJ    SKA  I.    HKKDS. 


2in 


from  i\  cnmiHorcial  point  of  viow,  pnictioally  J>»tiiictioii. 
t^xtinct.  A  full  {U'count  of  the  diHtribiition  and 
the  destruction  of  the  antartic  se.il  herds  is  {riven 
1))'  Dr.  Allen  in  his  article  found  in  the  Appendix.* 
Captain  IJudington,  who  for  over  twenty  years 
has  sealed  about  Cupe  lloni  and  the  islands  of 
the  South  Atlantic,  making  his  last  trip  to  these 
reofions  in  the  winter  of  1891-92,  says:  "  From 
hundred  of  thousands  of  seals  resorting  to  these 
islands  and  coasts  the  nundjers  have  been  reduced 
to  a  few  hundred,  which  seek  the  land  in  scat- 
tered bands  and  rush  to  sea  on  the  approach  of 
man."^  He  further  adds :  "  Seals  in  the  antarctic 
regions  are  practically  extinct,  and  I  have  given 
up  the  business  as  being  mi})rolitable."^  In 
speaking  of  the  cause  of  this  extermination,  he 
snys :  "  The  seals  in  all  these  localities  have 
l)(Hm  destroyed  by  the  indiscriminate  killing  of 
old  and  young,  male  and  female.  If  the  seals  in 
these  regions  had  been  protected  and  only  a 
certain  number  of  "dogs"  (young  males  unable 
to  hold  their  position  on  the  beaches)  allowed 
to  be  killed,  these  islands  and  coasts  would  be 
sigain  populous  with  seal  life.  The  seals  would 
c(^rtainlv  not    have  decreased  and  would  have 


I  Article  by  Dr.  Allen.  Parts  I  and  IF.  Vol.  I,  pp.  36.5,  .S9.S. 
''  Vol.  II,  J).  r>;t.5.     See  alno  Isaac  Liebes,  Vol.  II,  p.  515. 
»  Vol.  II,  p.  595. 


■'";5  ^' 


u 


r  a 

I 


n< 


^'ip^r 


220 

DvHtriiotiiiii. 


PR()TK(  riON    AND    PRKSKRVATION. 


prodiKH'tl  i\u  anmiul  supply  ofskins  for  all  tiinos",' 
JumeH  Kiei'iiaii,  who  ubout  1843  visIUmI  oii  ji 
8oalin<>'  voyajfc  the  east  coast  of  Pataji^oiiia  and 
the  Falkland  Lslaiuls,  says:  "These  rookeiirs 
have  since  heen  destroyed  throufj-h  the  constant 
Inniting  of  seals."-  Caleb  IJndahl,  also  e\])('n- 
enced  in  sealinjf  in  southern  latitudes,  in  speakinj^ 
of  the  destruction  of  seals  at  the  South  Shetland 
Islands,  says:  "If  the  seals  on  the  South  Siiet- 
land  Islands  had  heiMi  protected  I  think  they 
would  have  been  there  by  the  million,  because 
in  one  year  they  took  three  hundred  thousand 
seals  from  the  Shetland  Islands."^  The  same 
hunter  also,  in  telling  of  a  sealinj^  expedition  he 
made  in  1  S!ll  to  the  south  seas,  says :  "  The  seals 
are  nearlv  all  killed  off  down  there,  s  that  we 
got  only  about  twenty  skins.  It  h  'ise  for 
vessels  to  go  there  sealing  any  more."' 
The  Rn8«iai.  '}^|,p  pelagic  sealers  of  the  North  Pacific  have 
not  confined  their  operations  to  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  but  have  invaded  the 
Russian  waters,  and  the  slaughter  has  already 
been  carried  on  to  such  an  extent  in  that  locality 
that  the  Commander  herd  has  begun  to  decrease 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  Alaskan  herd.* 


'Vol.  II.  )..5}»5. 

•"Vol.  II.  p.  450. 

•H'lil.li  LiiKliihl,  V()I.II,i>  466. 

*  (jiiiMtiivc  Nioliiiiiiii,  Vol.  n,  p.  203. 


■^•'■; 


OTHKH    SKAI.    MKRDS 


221 


1^110  necossitv  of  i)i'ot('('tioi)  to  m-hI  HtV»  from    Uritish    pr..t«e 

'  _       tloii  of  the  Ht'ul. 

iniliuiittMl  «l»'stni<*tioii,  in  order  timt  tl\<»  s|»CM'i«'s 
may  be  preworvcd,  is  not  only  evidenced  by  tiio 
(Xiiuipies  nl)ove  cited,  but  lias  berui  reoojrnized 
l>v  a  number  of  nations,  especially  by  Great 
Mritain  and  her  colonies.  In  fact,  it  may  bo 
siiid  that  wherever  fur-seals  ))reed  in  territory 
over  which  Great  Hritain  has  control  the  species 
has  received  particular  protection  from  indis- 
criminate slaughter.     At  the  f^alkland  Islands,  a    Fnikinna  w- 

_  »iids. 

Miitish  dependency,  formerly  so  productive  of 
tlic  fur  seal  species,  the  Government  of  the 
Islands  in  1881  issued  a  decree,'  the  pn^amblo 
of  which  is  as  follows:  "Whereas  the  Seal  Fish- 
cries  of  these  Islands,  which  was  at  one  time  a 
source  of  profit  and  advantaj^e  to  the  colonists, 
lias  been  exhausted  by  indiscriminate  and  waste- 
ful fishing,  and  it  is  desirable  to  revive  and  ])ro- 
tect  this  industry  by  the  estaVdi.shment  of  a  Close 
Time  during-  which  it  shall  be  uidawful  to  kill  or 
capture  seals  within  the  limits  of  this  Colony  and 
its  dependeucies."  The  ordinance  proceeds  to 
cuact  stringent  reg-ulations  prohibiting  seal 
linnting  "within  the  limits  of  this  Colony  and 
its  dependencies."  Capt.  Hudington,  an  ex- 
ix'rienced  navigator  and  seal  hunter  in  southern 

'  Fulkliind  IbIuiuIh  SojiI  FisUery  Onlinauce,  Vol.  I,  p.  435. 


i"4^!i- 


222 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 


(,>,w! 


ri? 


m- 1. ! 


Jf 


.•»! 


New  Zcalaiirl. 


FtiikiiuHi    I  si-  \v}it(^rs,  visitwl  that  recrion  ii)  January,  1892,  and 

anils.  "  ■' 

Iio  states,  under  oath,  tliat  tlie  ordinance  of  ISS] 
is  enforced  in  the  sea  siirroimding-  those  islands 
ontside  tlie  ihree-mile  limit,  and  that  it  would  he 
(l«H»ined  a  violation  of  tlie  law  to  take  seals  (hiring 
the  close  season  between  the  Falkland  Islands 
and  Beauchene  Island,  twenty-ei^ht  miles  dis- 
tant.* 

During"  the  past  fifteen  years  a  series  of  laws 
and  orders  in  council  have  been  enacted  for  the 
protection  of  seals  in  the  (Colony  of  New^  Zealand, 
wliicli  not  only  establislied  a  close  season,  but 
ha\e  at  times  entirely  prohibited  the  takinp-  of 
seals  for  a  conseviutive  })eriod  of  eight  years.'- 
The  New  Zealand  Seal  P'isheries  Act  of  187.S 
established  a  close  season  for  seals  extendin;^' 
from  October  1  to  June  1."  Section  4  empowers 
the  (xovernor,  by  Order  in  Council,  to  extend  or 
vary  the  close  season  as  to  "the  whole  Colony 
or  only  in  particular  parts  thereof*  And  this 
provision  has  lieen  substantially  reenacted  in 
all  subsequent  legislation.  '^Fhe  area  designated 
as  ''the   Colony"    is  taken   to    mean    :he  area 

I  .lames  W.  Budingtoii.  Vol.  II,  p.  rm. 

-Ni-w  Z«alaiul  Art,  1S78.  Vol.  I.  p.  437.  Sec  also  Re])orts, 
DfpnrtiiKMit  of  Mai-iiio  (1S80  1H!K)).  Hcjiulatioiis  l)y  the  (iovenini 
of  Now  Ztiuluud  ill  CuiiiKiil,  .luiiuui'>  lU,  1^88. 


OTlIKli    SKAl     HERDS. 


2J3 


siKM'ified  ill  the  act '  creatin<i'  the  cohnn,  which  m«w  Zealand, 
(letiiies  its  hoiUKhiries  as  (((iiicitlent  with  jiaral- 
Icls  '63°  and  53^  south  hititude,  and  162°  east 
find  173°  west  hmgitude.'^  The  Fisheries  Act  of 
1S84' empowers  the  Governor  in  Council  "to 
make,  alter,  and  revoke  rej^ulations  wliich  sliall 
liave  force  and  effect  only  in  waters  or  places 
specified  therein;"  and  almost  unlimited  author- 
ity is  thus  confeiTed  upon  the  executiv^e  to 
estahlish  close  seasons,  and  to  make  rej^^ulations 
resj)ectinj^  the  purchase  or  sale  of  tisli,  including  - 
seals,  and  punishment  for  violation  of  the  law 
and  orders.  The  definition  in  the  act  of  the  term 
"  waters  "  indicates  that  it  applies  to  the  entire 
area  of  the  Colony,  of  which  the  southeastern 
(HU'iier  is  over  seven  hundred  miles  from  the  coast 
of  New  Zealand,  although  a  few  smaller  islands 
intervene.  Tlie  Amendment  Act  of  18S7,^  making 
the  penalties  more  stringent,  provides  (Sec. 
6)  that  the  coiniiiander  of  any  iiublic  vessel 
may  seize,  search,  and  take  any  offending  vessel 

'2t)iitur27Vic.i.  •r.Sei!.2.  Vol.i,  p.436;  Kxtract.  .  .  .  "The 
finvrriiiiit'iit  piiipost^  l»^nsinK  flic  ri^ht  to  sciil  within  the  Colcmy 
lit  Now  Zealaiiil,  whfh  extends  within  tho  area  cnmpriHod  Itc- 
tween  162-  L-ast  lonx'tndc  ami  173-  west  longitude,  and  lietween 
HI!  and  53'-'  of  Hontli  latitude."  From  "  llandliook  of  the  Fishes 
of  New  /iealand."  I're^mretl  under  the  instriietionH  of  theeotiiinis- 
KJMiier  if  Trade  and  CiihtoniH,  liy  H.  A.  A.  Slier'in.  Auckland, 
l)<8ti.'" )..  254. 

-Maji  of  t'olony  of  New  Zealand,  \'ol.  I,  ;>.  437- 
New  Zealand  Act.  1SS4.  Vol.  I,  \>.  437. 

♦New  Zealand  Act,  1S»7.  Vol.  I,  p.  440. 


224 


PROTK(^TION    AND    PKE8KRVATI0N. 


fM 


New  iicaiand.  "witln'ii  the  jurisdiction  of  tlie  Goveniniciit  of 
the  Cohmy  of  New  ZeuhnuL"  The  "Handbook 
of  the  Fishes  of  New  Zealand,"  already  cited,  n 
book  "prepared  under  the  instructions  of  the 
Conunissioner  of  Trade  and  Customs,"  reviews 
at  some  length  the  seal  life  and  industry  of  tlio 
Colony,  and  in  advocating  string-ent  protection 
states  that  "seals  are  property  the  State  should 
zealously  guard."  In  pursuance  of  the  foregoing 
cited  laws  and  regulations  the  Government  of 
New  Zealand  has  kept  a  cruiser  in  service  for 
some  years  for  the  purpose  of  patrolling  tlic 
watei's  of  the  Colony  and  enforcing  the  law.'  It 
is  now  })roposed  to  lease  the  exclusive  right  to 
take  seals  within  the  limits  of  the  Colonv  to  a 

Ciipc  of  oooiH'om[)any.'-  In  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  sealing  is  prohibited  at  the  rookeries  and 
in  the  waters  adjacent  thereto,  except  under 
stringent  regulations.^  The  laws  and  regulations 
of  the  British  colonies  just  cited  have  reference 
to  the  fur-seals  of  the  South  Seas,  similar  in  theii- 
habits  to  the  seal  herd  of  the  Pribilof  Islands, 


Hope. 


'  Ifcports,  Marine  Dei»iirtiiunit  of  New  Zealand,  l«82,  188:3,  1887. 
1888. 

*"  Handbook  of  the  Fishi'S  <)f  Nt-w  Zwilanrt,"  p.  254. 

MJeoiRe Comer,  Vol.  II,  p.  597;  William  C.  B.  Stamp,  Vol.  II, 
p.  576. 


OTHER   SEAL   HEEDS. 


225 


lirtvine-  fixed  habitations  on  the  hmd,  to  which    Cape  of  Good 

Hope. 

tliey  regularly  resort.^ 

But  Great  Britain  and  its  dependencies  do  not    Hiitish   pjotec- 

tiou  of  hair-seal. 

limit  their  governmental  protection  to  the  fur-seal; 
it  is  extended  to  all  varieties  of  seals,  wherever 
they  resort  to  British  territorial  waters,  and  they 
liiive  thrown  about  them  upon  the  liij^h  seas  the 
i;  uardianship  of  British  statutes.  In  certain  of  the 
waters  of  the  North  Atlantic  are  found  the  hair- 
soal,  of  much  less  commercial  value  than  the  fur- 
seal,  and  to  whose  existence  the  land  is  not  a  neces- 
sity, as  the  young  may  be,  and  usually  are,  born 
and  reared  on  the  ice;  and  yet  these  seals  are  laider 
the  special  protection  of  British  laws.  Canadian 
statutes  prohibit  all  persons,  without  prescribing 
any  marine  limit,  from  disturbing  or  injuring  all 
sedentary  seal  fisheries  during  the  time  of  fishing 
for  seals,  or  from  hindering  or  frightening  the 
slioals  of  seals  £ts  they  enter  the  fishovy.  They 
also  forbid  the  use  of  explosives  to  km  -^'als.^ 

The  most  important  hair-seal  region  of  tli*     Newfounrtiand 
world  is  found  on  the  ice  floes  to  the  eastward  of 
Newfoundland,  often  several  hundred  miles  from 
the  coast,'*     This  region  has  been  for  many  years 


■^sf? 


■«;•-' 


'  An  examination  of  the  "Handbook  of  the  Fishps  of  New  Zea- 
land" (pp.  230-233)  will  show  that  the  fur-seal  frequenting  those 
islands  is  similar  in  habits  to  the  Alaskan  fur-seal  in  nearly  every 
particular. 
-  Revised  Statutes  of  Canada,  e.}>5,8eeR.  6and  7 ;  \'ol.I,pp.441, 454, 
'Allen,  "Monograph  of  North  American  rinnipeds,"  page  234, 
2716 29 


226 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 


■'"^■^Cl-^: 


Jpflj"'--'! 


11 


1 


Ncwfoniidiaiid  past  under  the  protection  of  the  Newfoundliuid 

regulatious. 

Colonial  Government,  wliich  has  enforced  a  close 
season,  not  allowing-  sail  vessels  to  leave  port  on 
sealing  voyages  before  March  1,  and  steam  v(s_ 
sels  before  March  10,  and  prohibiting  seal  kill! no 
before  March  12,  under  a  penalty  of  from  four 
hundred  dollars  to  two  thousand  dollars,  and  hns 
enacted  other  stringent  regulations.^  But  even 
these  laws  have  not  proved  sufficiently  effica- 
cious, and  in  April,  1892,  a  new  act  "to  regulate 
the  prosecution  of  the  seal  fisheries"  was  passed.- 
This  act  defers  the  date  of  leaving  port  two  days 
Iftter,  and  prohibits  the  killing  of  seals  at  all  sea- 
sons of  the  year  except  between  March  14  and 
April  20,  inclusive.  It  is  further  made  an  offiiuse 
to  bring  any  seal  killed  out  of  season  into  any 
port  of  the  Colony  under  a  penalty  of  four  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  all  steamers  are  prohibited  from 
proceeding  on  a  second  trip  to  the  seal  waters  in 
any  one  year.  It  will  be  seen  from  the  deposi- 
tions of  Richard  Pike,  a  master  mariner  of  fort}- 
four  years'  experience  in  hair-seal  hunting,  and 
of  James  G.  Joy,  master  mariner  of  twenty-four 
years'  experience  in  seal  hunting,  that  the  law 
prohibiting  the  second  sealing  trip  was  enacted 
because  it  tended  to  the  extermination  of  the  hair- 
seals,  as  at  least  seventy-five  per  cent  of  tliose 

'  Ntnvfoniidlnnd  Senl  Act,  1S7»,  Vol.  I,  \i.  412. 
"NewfouiKlliiiiil  S«'iil  Act,  1.><!I2,  V<»1.  I,  p. 441. 


't-^m 


OTHER    SEAL    HERDS. 


227 


killed  on  the  second  trii)  tire  females,  and  many    Newfound  laud 

regtilatiuus. 

at  that  time  are  shot  in  the  water  and  sink  before 
they  can  be  rtcovered.^ 
Next  in  imi)ortance  to  the  Newfoundland  hair-    J?.°  **">*'"  ^'^s- 

^  Illations. 

seal  reg-ion  is  that  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  east  of 
Greenland,  and  known  as  the  Jan  May  en  Seal 
Fishery.  This  region  in  the  open  sea  is  em- 
braced in  the  area  lying-  between  the  pai'allels 
of  ()1°  and  lFi°  north  latitude  and  the  meridians 
of  5°  east  and  17°  west  longitude  from  Green- 
wich. These  fisheries  were  made  the  subject  of 
legislative  regulation,  applicable  to  their  own 
subjects,  by  the  Governments  of  Great  Britain, 
Sweden  and  Norway,  Russia,  Germany,  and 
Holland,  by  a  series  of  statutes  passed  by  these 
several  countries  during  the  years  1875,  1876, 
1,S77,  and  1878.'  The  3d  of  April  is  established 
as  the  earliest  date  each  year  on  which  the  seals 
could  be  legally  captured,  and  penalties  are  fixed 
for  a  violation  of  the  prohibition. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  not  only  Great  Britain    Cononrronce  of 

•^  nations. 

and  her  colonies  have  found  it  necessary  to  pro- 
tect  by  legislation  the   hair-seal  of  the  North 

I  .liunos  O.  Joy,  Vol.  II,  p.  591 ;  Ricbard  Pike, Vol.  II,  p.  592. 

^  "  TLc  Seal  Fishory  Act,  1875,"  38  Vict.,  c.  18;  British  Order 
in  (Jimiicil  of  Nov.  28,  1876;  Law  of  Sweden  and  Norway  of  May 
18,  1876;  Ordinance  of  Norway  of  Oct.  28,  1876;  Ordinance  of 
Su.Mlcn  of  Nov.  30, 1876;  Law  of  Gprmany  of  Dec.  4,  1876;  Ordi- 
iKincn  of  (Jarniany  of  Mar.  29,  1877;  Law  of  the  NetlK'rlauds  of 
Dec.  31,  1876;  Decree  of  th(!  Netliorlaiuls  of  Feb.  5,  1877;  Law  of 
Kiissia  of  Dec.  187'j  :  Sec.  223  of  Russian  Code  of  Laws,  1886. 


228 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 


mJ 


Concurrence  of  Atlantic  from  extermination,  but  that  other  na- 

nations. 

tions  havo  united  and  concurred  in  the  same 


AVliite  Sea  regiv 
latious. 


protection. 

Stringent  regulations  have  also  been  .adopted 
by  Russia  for  the  protection  of  the  hair-seals  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mezen,  a  part  of  the  White  Sea,  tlie 
greater  portion  of  which  is  beycnd  the  three- 
mile  limit.  All  sealing  is  subject  to  the  super- 
vision of  public  overseers,  who  havo  authority 
to  determine  the  time  at  which  the  annual  catch 
is  to  begin  at  certain  designated  places,  and  to 
preserve  order  during  the  continuance  of  sealin<r 
operations,  as  to  which  the  law  contains  certain 
prohibitions.* 
Caspian  Sea  reg-  The  sealcrics  in  that  portion  of  the  Caspian 
Sea  which  belongs  to  Russia  are  under  the  con- 
trol of  a  "Bureau  of  Fishing  and  Sealing  Indus- 
tries," which  is  charged  with  a  general  supervision 
of  the  sealeries,  and  the  enforcement  of  the  la^^ , 
which  contains  regulations  for  a  close  season,  a 
license  fee,  and  prohibition  of  killing  or  disturb- 
ance during  the  breeding  time.* 

Similar  enactments  protect  the  fur-seal  in  other 
portions  of  the  world,  as  other  nations  ha\  o 
recognized  how  indispensable  to  the  preservation 
of  the  fur-seal  species  is  the  prohibition  of  un- 
licensed and    unlimited    sealing     The    Lobos 

'  Code  of  Ruaaian  Laws,  18S6,  and  map  of  area,  Vol.  I,  p.  445. 


ulations. 


Fur-seal  protec' 
tiou  by  other  na 
tions. 


PISLi^RIES. 


229 


Lolios  Tslitiids. 


Cape  Horn. 


Island  rookeries  have  for  over  sixty  years  been    Fur-seal  protec- 
tion by  other  na- 

iirotected  by  the  Government  of  Uniguay,  andtions- 
the  right  of  sealing  leased  to  a  company  under 
certain  restrictions;^  and  as  a  consequence  of  this 
governmental  protection  Lobos  Islands  have  for 
many  years  past  been  the  chief  source  of  supply 
from  the  southern  seas.  The  Governments  of 
Chile  and  the  Argentine  Republic  have  also 
recently  given  protection  to  the  fur-seals  resort- 
ing to  their  coasts  in  the  hope  of  restoring  their 
almost  exterminated  rookeries.^  The  Japanese  Kuriio  islands. 
Government  has  taken  steps  toward  the  restora- 
tion and  preservation  of  the  fur-seals  at  the 
Kurile  Islands,^  and  the  history  of  Russian  pro- 
tection on  the  Commander  Islands  and  Robben  „  Commnndpr  and 

Robueu  Islands. 

Island  is  too  well  known  to  need  further  citation. 

FISHERIES. 

The  foregoing  review  of  the  legislation  of 
various  nations  shows  that  they  have  deemet'  it 
necessary  to  adopt  stringent  regulations,  not  only 
in  waters  adjacent  to,  but  also  at  great  distances 
from,  their  respective  land  boundaries,  in  order 
to  protect  from  extermination  the  fur  and  the 
hair-seal.     But  it  will  be  interesting,  and  profit- 

'  Summary  of  Uruguay  laws,  in  letter  of  April  2,  1892,  by  the 
Custodian  of  Archives  at  Montevideo,  Vol.  I,  p.  448;  Article  by 
Li   Allen,  Part  II,  Vol.  I,  p.  397. 

-  «,'eorj!;e  Comer,  Vol.  II,  p.  597. 

=<  Statutes  of  Japan,  Vol.  I,  p.  449. 


230 


T-^,L 


^  %M. 


i'M\ 


M  .{ •  ' 


|I2!» 


Guuiu  laws. 


PROTECTION   AND   PRESF.RVATION. 

able  for  tlie  purposes  of  this  Arbitration,  to  caiTv 
the  iiivessti fixation  of  national  legislation  a  stop 
further  and  to  examine  how  far  Governments 
have  j'one  in  the  protection  of  other  forms  of 
animal  life  in  the  water,  and  to  what  extent  ex- 
traterritorial jurisdiction  is  exercised  for  the 
preservation  of  national  interests. 

All  nations  antl  races  in  all  ages  have  recog- 
nized the  necessity  of  aft'ording  sufficient  pro- 
tection for  the  reproduction  and  continued  ex- 
istence of  all  animal  life  useful  to  the  human 
race.  Even  the  savage  recognizes  and  enforces 
this  humanitarian  and  economic  principle,  but  it 
is  most  fully  recognized  and  enforced  among 
civilized  nations.  An  examination  of  the  legis- 
lation of  the  countries  of  Europe  and  America 
shows  that  the  protection  of  the  Government  is 
everywhere  extended  to  animals  /era  natura 
during  the  breeding  season,  and  that  especially 
the  mother,  when  heavy  with  young  or  while  her 
offspring  is  dependent  upon  her,  is  under  the 
guardianship  of  the  law.  The  wild  animal  on 
the  land  and  the  fish  in  the  sea  are  both  i)re- 
served  by  a  close  season  and  stringent  rules, 
having  particular  reference  to  the  reproduction 
and  undiminished  existence  of  the  species.  As 
indicating  the  character  of  this  legislation,  tlie 
attention  of  the  Arbitrators  is  directed  toa|)apor 


FISHERIES. 


231 


in  the  Appendix,  giving  a  brief  review  of  the    Gam©  laws, 
•rjime  and  fishery  hiws  of  Great   Britain   and 
Canada.* 
Game  and  fishery  laws  are  usually  limited  in    Extraterritorial 

•'  •'  jurisdiction. 

their  effects  to  the  land  and  territorial  waters  of 
the  country  which  enacts  them.  But  instances 
iue  many  wherein  nations  have  not  hesitated  to 
extend  the  effects  of  their  laws  to  the  waters 
contiguous  to  their  shores,  beyond  tlie  ordinary 
three-mile  limit.  Citations  have  ah'eadv  been 
made  of  the  laws  for  the  protecticm  of  seals  of 
quite  a  number  of  nations,  which,  so  far  as  their 
own  subjects  are  concerned,  apply  to  large  areas 
of  the  high  seas,  and  it  has  been  shown  that 
Great  Britain  and  Russia  extend  their  exclusive 
jurisdiction  for  the  protection  of  seals,  frequent- 
ing waters  contiguous  to  their  shores,  far  beyond 
the  marine  league.  But  further  instances  may 
be  cited  where  nations  have  exercised  extrater- 
ritorial jurisdiction  on  the  ocean  for  the  protec- 
tion of  other  species  of  marine  life  besides  the 
seal.  In  fact,  it  may  be  laid  down  as  a  principle, 
est.iblished  by  international  usage,  that  any 
nation  which  has  a  jieculiar  interest  in  the  con- 
tinued existence  of  aii}'  valuable  marine  product, 
located  in  the  high  seas  adjacent  to  its  coasts  or 

'  Game  and  Fishery  Laws  of  Great  Britaiu  aud  Cauada,  Vo).  I, 
p.  450. 


232 


PROTECTION    AND    PRESERVATION. 


Extrat<!rritoriai  territorial  watcrs,  niJi}'  adopt  such  ineasiires  ms 

juiiM(liction.  "  .  . 

are  essential  to  the  preservation  of  the  species, 
without  hniitatioii  as  to  the  distance  from  hind 
at    v.hicJi    such    necessary    measui'es    may  bo 
enforced. 
Irish  oyster     '[Ws  principle  is  well  illustrated  by  two  recent 

(isliui'ies.  *  ^  •' 

statutes  enacted  by  the  Parliament  of  Great 
Britain.  By  the  British  "  Sea  Fisheries  Act"  of 
1868*  provision  is  made  for  the  regulation  oi' 
oyster  dredging  on  any  oyster  bed  witliiii 
twenty  miles  of  a  straight  line  drawn  from  the 
eastern  end  of  Laiiibav  Island  to  Carnsore  Point 
on  the  eastern  coast  of  Ireland.  The  law  states 
m  terms  that  it  is  to  be  enforced  "  outside  of  tiu^ 
exclusive  fishery  limits  of  the  British  Isles,"  and 
that  every  order  issued  in  pursuance  of  it  sliall 
be  binding  not  only  on  British  sea-fishing  boats, 
but  also  "  on  any  other  sea-fishing  boats  in  that 
behalf  specified  in  the  order  and  on  the  crews  of 
such  boats."  In  other  words,  jurisdiction  may 
be  asserted  over  foreigners  as  well  as  British 
subjects  at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  from  land. 
Protch  Herri ..ff     The  Scotch  Hemug  Fishery  Act  of  1889 ^  fur- 

tislieryAct.  "  *' 

nishes  another  illustration  in  point.  That  act 
provides  that  certain  destructive  methods  of  fish- 
ing may  be  prohibited  by  the  fishery  board  in 

'SStiitiitoof  British  Parlianiont.  31  f.iiil  32  Vict.,  c.45,  Sec.  67; 
niMi*  ol'  area  rteflued  in  the  Htatiitv,  Vol.  I,  p.  457. 
'Statute,  52  and  53  Vict.  o.  23,  and  map,  Sec.  7,  Vol.  I,  p.  458 


FISHERIES. 


233 


aiiv  i)art  of  an  area  of  the  open  sea,  two  tliousand    Scotch  Herring 

"    *  '     ^  ^  Fishery  Act. 

si'ven  lumdred  square  miles  in  extent,  lying  off 
the  northeast  coast  of  Scotland,  within  a  lino 
drawn  from  Duncansby  Head,  in  Caithness,  to 
Wattray  Point,  in  Aberdeenshire."  The  act  is 
ii(»t  confined  in  its  operations  to  British  subjects, 
l)iit  provides  that  "any  person"  offending  against 
its  provisions  shall  be  liable  to  a  fine  and  the 
forfeiture  of  his  fishing  a})paratus. 

The  legislation  of  several  of  the  colonies  (»f^,  iv^riimheriosof 
Great  Britain  also  abounds  in  instances  of  the 
exercise  of  extraten'itorial  jurisdicti(ni  upon  the 
liigh  seas  for  the  protection  of  different  species 
of  marine  life.  The  pearl  fisheries  of  Ceylon 
extend  into  the  open  sea  for  a  distance  of  twenty 
miles,  and  they  have  been  the  subject  of  a  series 
of  ordinances  and  regulations  from  1811  down 
to  the  present  time,  which  for  certain  purposes 
define  the  limit  of  marine  jurisdiction  to  be  twelve 
miles,  and  for  other  purposes  a  distance  which 
varies  from  six  to  twenty  miles.^ 

The  pearl  fisheries  of  Queensland  and  Western    Pemi  finhericBof 

Aiistrulia. 

Australia  were,  in  the  years  1888  and  1889, 
made  the  subject  of  regulation  by  two  statutes 
enacted  by  the  Federal  Council  of  Australasia.'^ 
These  statutes  extended  the  local  regulations  of 

'  Ordinances  of  Ceylon,  and  map,  Vol.  I,  p.  461, 
"  Statutes  of  Atistralasia,  and  maj).  Vol.  I,  p.  4fi7. 
2716 30 


:?;§  i 


234 


PROTECTION  AND    PRESERVATION. 


iN)arifl-*herieHofthe  two  countries  iiuMitioiied  to  (lotiiied  areas  (if 

AiiNtralitt. 

the  open  Hea,  of  wliich  the  most  remote  points 
are  about  two  liundred  and  fifty  miles  i'rom  the 
coast  of  Queensland,  and  about  six  hundred  miles 
from  the  coast  of  Western  Australia.  These  acts 
are,  by  their  terms,  limited  in  their  o})eration  lu 
British  subjects,  but  as  Sir  George  Baden-lNnvi-ll 
has  pointed  out,  in  a  recent  adtb'ess  delivered 
before  the  Association  of  the  Coditi(ration  of  tlie 
Law  of  Nations,*  the  remoteness  of  these  waters 
renders  it  practically  impossible  for  fi nijin 
vessels  to  participate  in  the  pearl  fisheries  with- 
out entering  an  Australian  port,  and  therel>y 
rendering  themselves  amenable  to  Australian 
law. 
Froncii  legist  a-  The  fishery  legislation  of  France  also  recoj;- 
nizes  the  same  principle.  A  commission,  ap- 
pointed by  the  French  Government  in  io>'l/  to 
investigate  the  fisheries  of  that  country  and 
to  make  recommendation 3,  reported  that  they 
deemed  it  inexpedient  to  assign  any  precise 
limit  to  teiTitorial  waters  beyond  which  the  laws 
recommended  should  cease  to  be  operati\e.- 
Accordingly  the  laws  passed  in  pursuance  of 
this  report  were  so  framed  as  to  leave  this  ques- 
tion open,  and  the  Decree  of  May  10, 1862,  Sec.  J, 

'  Delivered  at  Liverpool,  Aug.  29,  1890;  see  page  9. 
'Rapport  de  la  CoimiiisHiou  du  25  iiiiu,  1819,  ytonr  I'exainiMi  d'nii 
projet  de  loi  »iir  la  p6che  uiaritime  cAtiere,  p.  25. 


FISHERIES. 


286 


tion. 


wont  80  far  as  to  iirovide  in  terms  that  under  cer-    French  i«gitia- 

tain  circumstances  fishing  might  be  prohibited 

over  areas  of  tlio  sea  beyond  three  miles  from 

si  lore.'     Numerous  hiws  have  also  been  enacted 

1)\   France   to   protect  and   regulate   the   coral 

tisheries  of  Algeria,  both  as  to  natives  and  for- 

«'i<iiiers,  and  the  coral  beds  so  regulated  extend 

iit  some  points  as  far  as  seven  miles  into  the  sea.' 

The  coral  beds  surrounding  the  island  of  Sar-  Italian  legisia- 
(linia  and  lying  off  the  southwest  coast  of  Sicily 
have  been  made  the  subject  of  elaborate  regu- 
lations by  the  Government  of  Italy.  The  Sar- 
dinian coral  beds  are  situated  at  distances  from 
laud  which  vary  from  three  to  fifteen  miles.' 
The  principal  coral  beds  of  Sicily  are  three  in 
iimnber,  and  are  respectively  distant  from  the 
coast  fourteen,  twenty-one,  and  thirty-two  miles. 
At  present  all  coral  fishing  is  prohibited  on  these 
banks  by  Royal  Decree,  for  a  designated  period, 

I  P'rench  Decree  and  map,  Vol.  I,  p.  469. 

•Mil)),  Vol.  I,  p.  469.  "Les  P6ches  Maritiiiies  en  Alg^rie  et  en 
Tmiisie."  Rapport  an  iniiiiHtre  de  la  nuiriuc,  par  M.  M.  fiouchon 
Biiiiidely,  Inapocteur  j?6n«Sral  dea  pAcliea  niaritiinoa,  et  A.  Her- 
thoiile,  Secretaire  g*$ii6ral  de  la  Soci6t6  national  d'acclimatation, 
iiicinbrtt  dn  Comity  consnltatif  dea  p6clies  maritinivs. 

' Map.  Vol.  I,  p.  470.  Uritiali  admiralty  chart  No.  281.  "  II 
CVirullo  in  Sardegna,  Rela/ioutt  preaeiitata  k  S.  £.  il  miuiatro  di 
Af;ri(;(dtnra,  Iudi<atria  e  Commercio.  dal  Professore  Parona  Cor- 
rado,  deir  Uuivcraitd,  di  Cagliari."  "Auuali  dell'  ludustria  e  del 
Commercio.  1882." 


i:^ 


'1» 


".if: 


*Ni:, 


«"f. 


''•^^ 


«'%'« 


236 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 


Italian    legisia- at   the  close  ot"  wliicli  the  previous  restrictive 

tion; 

regulations  will  be  ag-aiii  enforced.^ 


Norwegian  legiS' 
latiuu. 


tion 


This  })rinciple  is  also  recognized  in  the  legis- 
lation of  Norway  in  the  statute  of  1880  for  tlio 
protection  of  whales,  during-  an  annual  closo 
season,  in  Varanger  Fiord,  an  arm  of  the  oj)eu 
sea  about  thirty-two  marine  miles  in  width,  lyiiii,'' 
off  the  northeast  coast  of  Norway.^ 

Panama  legisia-  The  Government  of  Panama,  in  the  Republic 
of  Colombia,  has  recently  enacted  a  law  prohibit- 
ing the  use  of  diving  macliines  for  the  collection 
of  pearls  within  an  area  of  the  sea  over  sixty 
marine  miles  in  length,  and  extending  outward 
about  thirty  marine  miles  ti'oni  the  coast.^ 

Mexican  legisia-  The  Mexican  pearl  fisheries  Ivinff  oft"  the  coast 
of  Lower  Oalifbrnia  have  been  made  tlie  subject 
of  special  excloasive  grants  to  private  individuals. 
Along  part  of  the  coast  the  pearl  jeds  have  been 
divided  for  this  purpose  into  two  belts,  oxf  which 
the  inner  lielt  extends  seaward  a  distance  of  live 
kilometers  (ab«mt  three  miles),  and  the  outer  l)elt 
is  bounded  by  lines  drawn  parallel  to  the  coiist 
at  distances  of  five  and  ten  kilometers.     It  is  ob- 

'  statutes  of  Ital.v,  and  maps,  Vol.  I,  pp.  470.  172.  ''Relazioneiicl 
Prot'i'ssoro  (rinvanni  Caiiestrini  al  Ministro  di  Agricoltura.  Indiis- 
tria  e  Comiuorcio  mille  rieerche  fatte  uel  More  di  Sciacca  iiitonio 
ai  Ranclii  ('ovallim."  "Annali  dell'  Industria.  e  del  (y'oiuuiercii), 
1882." 

•  Statutes  of  Norway,  Vol.  I,  p.  482. 

'■^  Statutes  of  Paiiama,  and  map,  Vol.  I,  p.  4<84. 


tion 


mn 


^^. 


ALASKAN    HERD. 


237 


vious  that  the  greater  portion  of  this  outside  belt    Mexican  legiaia- 
lies  beyond  the  three-mile  limit.^ 

Maps  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix,  as  cited,  other <nseH of cx- 

traterritiirial     ju- 

showing  the  extent  of  marine  territory  over  which  "sdictiou. 
jurisdiction  is  exercised  by  the  different  Govern- 
ments named.  Reference  may  also  be  made  to 
the  British  Hovering  Acts,^  the  St.  Helena  Act  of 
1815,^  and  the  Quaranthie  Act  of  1825,*  as  well 
as  various  international  conventions  for  the  pro- 
tection and  regulation  of  fisheries  on  the  high 
seas. 


ALASKAN    HERD. 

This  hasty  review  of  tlie  legislation  of  near  a 
score  of  nations  clearly  establishes  the  principle 
announced  that  any  nation,  having  a  peculiar 
interest  in  the  continued  existence  of  animal  life 
in  the  high  seas  adjacent  to  its  coasts  or  territo- 
rial waters,  may  adopt  such  measures  as  are 
essential  to  it",  preservation,  without  limit  as  to 
tlie  distance  from  land  at  which  such  measures 
may  be  enforced.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  how-  unprotected 
ever,  in  view  of  the  legislation  just  cited,  that 
the  Alaskan  seal  herd,  so  valuable  to  the  human 


'Statutes  of  Mexico,  and  niai»,  Vol.  I.  j).  486. 

-it  (Jeo.  II,  c.  3,5,  Sec.  2;{,  statute  repealed  in  1825,  hnt  ])artially 
reenacted  as  to  the  limit  of  four  leagues  as  recently  as  1845,  8 
and  9  Virt..  c.  86,  Sec.  2. 

'56  Geo.  Ill,  c.  23,  Sec.  4,  Vol.  I,  p.  495. 

*6  Geo.  IV,  0.  78,  Sees.  8,  9,  Vol.  I,  p.  496. 


238 


PROTECTION   AND    PRESERVATION. 


Unprotectertrace,  staiuls  almost  alone  in  the  animal  life  of 

couditiou. 

the  world  in  being  denied  protection  during  the 
necessary  period  of  the  reproduction  of  its  spe- 
cies. The  review  of  the  habits  of  the  Alaskan 
seal  and  of  the  practices  of  the  pelagic  hunters 
has  shown  that  for  at  least  nine  months  of  tiie 
year  this  herd  is  exposed  to  the  relentless  and 
untiring  pursuit  of  the  pelagic  hunter,  and  that 
during  the  remainnig  three  months  his  hand  is 
only  stayed  by  the  inclemency  of  the  weather 
which  renders  pursuit  impossible.  And  it  has 
been  further  shown  that  this  pursuit  is  most  active 
and  destructive  at  the  time  when  the  female  seal 
is  approaching  the  season  of  the  delivery  of  her 
young,  or  when  she  is  nursing  the  pup  which  is 
entirely  dependent  upon  the  mother's  milk  for 
sustenance. 

The  necessity  of  protection  of  this  particular 
herd  is  affirmed  by  numerous  witnesses  of  every 
degree  of  experience  and  knowledge,  including 
leading  naturalists  of  Ameri(^a  and  of  many 
European  nations,  those  engaged  in  the  sealskin 
industry,  both  in  the  United  States,  Great  Brit- 
ain, and  France,  exj)erienced  sealers,  and  many 
others  conversant  with  seal  life  and  the  present 
condition  of  the  Alaskan  herd. 


Xeressity  of  its 
pi'otectiuii. 


ALASKAN    HERD. 


239 


The  British  and  American  Bering  Sea  Com-    The  Joint  Com- 

'^  mission. 

iiiissioners,  aUhough  they  do  not  assert  in  their 

joint  report  that  jn'otection  is  necessary,  give,  as 

a  conclusion  reached,  the  folhiwing:  "We  are  in 

thorough  agreement  that  for  industrial  as  well 

as  for  other  obvious  reasons,  it  is  incumbent  upon 

all  nations,  and  particularly  upon  those  having 

direct  commercial  interests  in  fur-seals,  to  provide 

for  their  proper  protection  and  preservation."* 

The  British  Government  also  has  recognized    British  recogni- 
tion, 
the  necessity  of  protecting  this  seal  herd  from 

destruction,  in  its  correspondence  with  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States,  and  has  advocated 
(certain  methods  of  preservation  through  a  close 
season  and  prohibition  of  sealing  within  certain 
limits.^  Lord  Salisbury,  in  1888,  so  far  recog- 
nized the  need  of  protection  to  the  seal  herd  as 
to  suggest  that  a  close  season  from  April  15  to 
October  1  be  established  in  the  wliole  of  Bering 
Sea  and  those  portions  of  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk 
and  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  north  of  north  latitude 
47°,  and  that  this  limitation  should  be  enforced 
by  international  agreement  between  the  United 

'Joint  Report  of  Britisli  and  Auiorican  Bering  Sea  Coni- 
niisHiouers.     I'ont,  p.  309. 

-'  Sir  .J.  Pauncefote  to  Mr.  Blaine,  April,  1890;  Marquis  of  Salis- 
bury to  Sir  L.  West,  April  16,  1891;  Sir  J.  Pauncelote  to  Mr. 
Wharton,  June  11,  1891. 


240 


PROTKCTION    AND    PRE8KKVATI0N. 


-fi- 


"T^^f^W' 


.r;..»;,,  ur",}'   ;^ 


British  recogni-  States,  Great  Britain,  Russia,  and  other  nations 

tiou. 

interested.^ 

Opinions  of  nat-     Professor  T.  H.  Huxley,  in  considerinffthis  ques- 

I'loiessor  Mux-  tion  of  the  decline  of  the  Alaskan  herd  and  tlie 
ley. 

need  of  protecting  it,  says:  "That  the  best  courst.^ 

would  be  to  prohibit  the  taking-  of  fur-seals  any- 

Dr.Sciater,        where   except  on    the   Pribilof  Islands." '^     Dr. 

Sdater,  secretary  of  the  Zoological  Society  of 

London,  says  "that  in  his  opinion  as  a  naturalist, 

miless  proper  measures  are  taken  to  restrict  thi' 

indiscriminate   capture   of    the    fur-seal    in  the 

North  Pacific  he  is  of  the  opinion  tliat  the  extev- 

minntion  of  this  species  will  take  place  in  a  few 

years,  as  it  already  lias  done  in  the  case  of  other 

species  of  the  same  group  in  other  parts  of  the 

Dr.  M  e  r  r  i am 's  yyorkl." '^     Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam,  one  of  the  Ameri- 

letter.  ' 

can  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  sent  out  a  letter 
to  a  number  of  the  principal  zoologists  and 
scientists  of  the  world,  stating  briefly  the  results 
of  his  investigations  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
Pribilof  rookeries  and  the  cause  of  the  decrease; 
the  letter  closes  with  the  following  conclusions: 
"It  seems  to  be  a  fair  inference,  therefore,  that 
the  only  way  to  restore  the  depleted  rookeries  to 
their  former  condition  is  to  stop  taking  seals  at  sea, 

'Mr.  White  to  Mr.  Bayard,  April  20, 1888;  Marquis  of  Salisbury 
to  Sir  I..  West,  April  16,  1888. 
2  Vol.  I, p.  412. 
»  Vol.  I,  p.  413. 


ALASKAN   HERD. 


241 


;iii(l  not  only  in  Bering  Sea,  but  in  the  North  nr.  Mcrriaiu's 
Paoitic  as  well."^  In  replyinj^  to  this  com- 
munication, Dr.  Rapliael  lihinclmrd,  of  France,  Dr.  Bianchurd. 
sa}'s:  "By  reason  of  the  massacres  of  which  it  is 
a  victim,  this  species  is  advancing  rapidly  to- 
ward its  total  and  final  destruction,  .  .  . 
and  there  is  for  our  generation  an  imjjerious 
duty  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  the  fur-seal, 
to  regulate  strictly  its  capture,  in  a  word,  to  per- 
petuate this  source  of  wealth  and  to  bequeath  it 
to  our  descendants."  ^  Dr.  Henry  H.  Gigholi,  of  Dr.  GisHoii. 
Italy,  in  his  reply,  says:  "It  is  both  as  a  nat- 
uralist and  as  an  old  Commissioner  of  Fisheries, 
that  I  beg  to  say  .  .  .  that  I  most  entirely 
and  most  emphatically  agree  with  you  in  the 
conclusions  and  recommendations  you  come  to 
in  your  report  on  the  present  condition  of  the 
fur-seal  industry  in  the  Bering  Sea,  with  special 
reference  to  the  causes  of  decrease  and  the  meas- 
ures necessary  for  the  restoration  and  permanent 
preservation  of  that  industry,  which  conclusions 
juid  recommendations  are  fully  supported  and  jus- 
tiiied  by  the  facts  in  the  case."  ^  Professors  A.  K.  Professors  Xor 
Nordenskiold  and  W.  Lilljeborg,  of  Sweden,  unit- i.iii,iiiior< 
iug in  a  re})ly  to  Dr.  Merriam's  letter,  say:  "As  to 
the  pelagic  sealing  it  is  evident  that  a  systematic 

ivoirf,  1^717^; 

•^  Vol.  1,}).  427. 

3  Letter  of  Dr.  Henry  H.  GiKlioli,  Vol.  I,  p.  425. 

2716 31 


242 


PROTECTION    AND    PRESERVATION. 


Other     iiiitnral- 


Dr.  Allon. 


PnifissorR  Nor-liuiitiiiff  of  tlie  seals  in  the  open  sea  on  the  wii\ 

(h'lis  k  i  <)  1  (i    II  >i  (I 

Liiijtborg.  to  mul  from  or  around  the  rookeries  will   \(  r\ 

80011  cause  tlie  comjilete  extinction  of  tliis  v:tl- 
uable,  and,  from  Hcientific  point  of  view,  so 
extremely  interesting  and  impoi'tant  animal."  ' 
l^esides  these  declarations  above  quoted,  other 
scientists,  of  France,  Italy,  Sweden,  Russia,  Gei- 
raany,  Austria,  Norway,  and  Argentine  Republic, 
to  whom  Dr.  Merriam's  letter  was  sent,  unite  in 
commending  the  conclusions  set  forth  and  affirm 
the  need  of  protection  to  the  seal  herd.^ 

Dr.  Allen  shows  plainly  the  need  of  protectiiijr 
the  Alaskan  herd,  in  a  brief  suimnary  of  the 
results  of  pelagic  sealing.^ 
cniiiKKan  lecog-  ij^  the  Canadian  Fisheries  Report  for  18H(;, 
already  adverted  to,  Thomas  Mowatt,  es(|..  In- 
spector of  Fisheries  for  British  Columbia,  in  his 
report,  after  giving  the  catch  for  the  year  ))y 
sealing  vessels,  and  stating  the  fact  that  it  was 
composed  almost  entirely  of  female  seals,  adds : 
"This  enormous  catch,  with  the  increase  which 
will  take  place  when  other  vessels  fitting  u)) 
every  year  are  ready  will,  I  am  afraid,  soon 
dejilete  our  fur-seal  fishery,  and  it  is  a  great  pity 

I  Letter  of  Prolossors  Nordeiinkiold  ami  Lilljoborg,  Vol.  I, )).  l'2',l 
■i  LetterH  of  1  )r.  A.  V.  Middciulorf,  Dr.  Eiiiil  Hornb,  Dr.  U.  Colktt , 
Dr.  liuopold  Van  Schraiick,  and  otlierH,  Vol.  I,  pp.  418-433. 
» Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Part  III,  Vol.  I,  p.  410. 


ALASKAN    HERD. 


243 


sucli  a  valuable  industry  could  not  in  some  way    c«t»adian  recoj?- 

nition. 

l)e  protected." 

Mr.  Walter  E.  Martin,  head  of  the  firm  of  C.  ,Oi'i»i«i»*<'«L<»>- 
W.  Martin  &  Sons,  already  quoted,  says  "that 
tlio  preservation  of  the  seal  herds  found  in  the 
North  Pacific  regions  is  necessary  to  the  contin- 
uance of  the  fur-seal  business,  as  those  herds  are 
the  principal  sources  of  supply  of  sealskins  left 
in  the  world,  and  from  his  general  knowledge  of 
tlie  customs  of  that  business  deponent  feels  jus- 
tified in  expressing  the  opinion  that  stringent 
regulations  of  some  kind  are  necessary  in  order 
to  prevent  those  herds  from  disappearing  like 
lierds  which  formerly  existed  in  large  numbers 
ill  the  South  Pacific  seas."* 

Sir  George  Curtis  Lampson,  already  men- 
tis »i»ed  as  the  senior  member  of  the  house  of  C 
M.  Lampson  &  Co.,  says  that  he  "has  no  doubt 
tlirtt  it  i.s  necessary  in  order  to  mahitain  the 
industry  that  steps  should  be  taken  to  presei've 
tlio  existence  of  the  seal .  herd  in  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean  and  Bering  Sea  from  the  fate 
which  has  overtaken  the  herds  in  the  soutli 
seas."^  The  said  firm  of  Lampson  &  (^o.,  in  a 
Iciter  to  the  Earl  of  Iddesleigli,  First  Lord  of 
Ilcr    Maje,sty's    Treasury,    d.ated    at    London, 

'Wiilfoi'  K.  Mill  tin,  Vol.  11.]).  570. 
*Sir  Gforgo  C  Luuipsou,  \'ul.  II,  p.  366. 


214 


PROTECTION  AND  PRESERVATION. 


(luu 


()|»inioii  of  Loii- November  12,   1886,    in  relation,  among  otlicr 

m  furriurs. 

things,  to  the  preservation  of  the  Alaskan  lierd, 
states  that  "  should  Great  Britain  deny  the  riglit 
of  the  United  States  Govennnent  to  protect  tlic 
(seal)  fishery  in  an  effectual  manner  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  Alaska  fur-seals,  which 
furnish  by  far  the  most  important  part  of  the 
world's  supply  of  sealskins,  will  be  exterminated 
in  a  very  few  years,  just  as  in  the  South  Atlan- 
tic, the  Shetland  and  Georgia  fur-seals,  whidi 
used  to  furnish  even  finer  pelts  than  the  Alas- 
kas,  have  already  been."^  Again,  in  September, 
1890,  Lampson  &  Co.  wrote  to  the  Forei<^u 
Office  that  "  unless  a  close  season  can  l)e 
arranged  immediately  the  animal  will  undoubt- 
edly become  extinct  within  a  very  short  time."  - 
Mr.  C.  Hawkins,  a  British  subject,  in  a  letter 
already  mentioned,  addressed  to  the  Marquis  oi' 
Salisbury,  states  that  '*  this  wholesale  slaughter 
of  the  females  will,  in  a  sliort  time,  bring  about 
the  extermination  of  the  seal  in  that  district  if 
not  arrested."^ 
Opinions  of  M.  Ldou  Rdvillou,  a  member  of  the  well 
known  Parisian  firm  of  Revillon  freres,  which  has 
been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  sealskin  gar- 
ments for  over  twenty  years,  in  speaking  for  his 

'Britisli  Blno  Boole,  U.  S.  \o.l>  (1890),  C-H131,  p.24. 
^  Britisb  Blue  Book.  U.  S.  No.  1  (1891),  C-G253,  p.  11. 
•J  British  Blue  Booli,  U.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  0-6635,  p.  5. 


ALASKAN   HERD. 


245 


coiTipauVj  sfiys:    "We  firmly  believe  that  if  the    Opinions  of 

'        -^  "^  •'  _  ^  French  liiiriers. 

slaugliter  of  the  Northwest  Coast  fur-seals  is  not 
stopped  or  regulated,  the  Alaska  fur-seals  will 
disai)pear  entirely,  as  is  the  case  with  the  seals  of 
the  Shetland  Islands."'  The  same  belief  is  also 
stated  by  M.  Emin  Hertz,  head  of  the  fur  firm 
of  Emin  Hertz  &  Cie.,  wliich  is  located  in  the 
city  of  Paris.  He  says:  "If  this  pursuit  in  the 
oi)en  sea  continues  as  in  the  past  two  years,  the 
said  firm  firmly  believes  that  in  a  short  time  the 
!-e;d  will  exist  only  as  a  souvenir  and  will  be 
completely  exterminated." - 

Mr.  Elkan  Wasserman,  of  San  Francisco,  who    opinions  of 

,         ,  !•       •        X'       .1  •   .  iirf  Americun  furriers. 

has  been  a  turner  tor  tlurty  years,  says:  "I'rom 
my  knowledge  of  the  sealing  business,  I  am  satis- 
fied that  the  seals  will  be  entirely  exterminated 
unless  protected  from  the  nidi  scrim  inate  jnirsuit 
in  the  waters  that  has  been  going  on  for  the  last 
few  years." ^  Mr.  C.  A.  Williams,  one  of  the 
original  members  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Com- 
pany, formerly  lessees  of  the  Pribilof  Islands* 
but  no  longer  interested  in  those  rookeries,  says 
that  if  open-sea  sealing  continues  the  seals  of 
Bering  Sea  will  within  five  years  be  as  extinct  as 
tlii'  seals  of  the  South  Sea   Islands.^     And  Mr. 


1  Vol.  II,  ]!.  :)!i(». 

2  Vol.  II,  II.  .".ss. 

3  Vol.  II,  i..,".:u. 

*  Vol.  II,  i>.  .538. 


'^:,-: 


^"4 


ll 


!'' 


m 


^^^ 


rm'^.^:^A 


wm 


246 


PROTECTION   AND    PRESERVATION. 


Opinionn  of  Hennuii  Liebes,  already  ,'ipokeu  of  as  beiiio-  tlic 

Aiiiericuu  ftiiTioiw. 

lar<«est   pureliaser   of  the    Nortliwest    catch   jir 
Victoria,  British  0(»luiiibia,  pUices  the  time  of  cx- 
teriniuatiou  at  tiireo  years  unless  the  herd  is  pro- 
tected from  the  depredations  of  pehi'i-ic  s(»alers.' 
Opiiiioiis  of  pe-     'I'urnine:  now  to  those  still  more  conversant 

IllglC  HOUlCI'M.  " 

with  the  wasteful  destruction  of  life  throuuli 
oi)en-8ea  sealing,  the  resulting-  depletion  of  the; 
Alaskan  herd,  and  the  probable  effect  of  contin- 
uing pelagic  hunting,  the  «)pinions  alread}-  gi\on 
are  still  further  sustained.  A  great  nund)er  ot' 
these  men,  sealers  with  more  or  less  experieucr, 
unite  in  declaring  the  necessity  of  protecting  tlic 
herd  in  order  to  preserve  it  from  certain  exter- 
mination in  the  near  future.  Alexander  McLean 
was  asked  the  question:  "If  sealing  continues  ns 
heretofore,  is  there  any  danger  of  exterminatinii 
them  [the  seals]!"  He  replied:  "If  they  con- 
tinue as  they  have  been  since  I  have  been  in  the 
business,  I  will  give  them  ten  years.  After  that 
the  sealing  business  will  be  about  finished." ' 
Mr.  Mon'is  Moss,  vice-president  of  the  Sealers' 
Association  of  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  sa)'s : 
"It  is  very  important  that  if  the  fur  seal  is  to  he 
preserved,  it  must  be  protected  from  indiscrim- 
inate slaughter  in  the  open  sea  or  it  will  soon  lie 

'  Vol,  II,  p.  r>u. 

» Vol.  II,  p.  438. 


mm 


ALASKAN   HERD. 


247 


exIiauHted."*     .Tolin  Morris,  a  sealer  of  expori-    Opinions  of  pe- 
lagic itualers. 

f^nce,  already  meiitiotiod,  says:  "With  the  pres- 
ent iucreasiiip^  fleet  of  sealing  vessels  the  seal 
herd  will  soon  become  exterminated  unless  some 
tostrictit  lis  are  placed  upon  pelagic  sealing."' 
\VMlliam  H.  Long,  who  has  been  a  hunter,  a  mate, 
iuul  a  captain  on  sealing  vessels,  says:  "T  think  if 
something  is  not  done  to  [)rotect  seals  in  the  North 
Pacific  and  Bering  Sea  they  will  l)ecome  exter- 
minated in  a  very  few  years." '  Caleb  Lindahl, 
who  has  sealed  both  in  arctic  and  antarctic  se*is, 
sMys:  "If  they  keep  on  hunting  them  in  the 
Mering  Sea  and  the  North  Pacific,  in  the  same 
way  they  have  done  in  the  last  few  years,  they 
will  extcnninatt!  them  in  the  same  way  [as  in 
the  southern  seas],  because  most  all  the  seals 
killed  {ire  females."*  To  these  statements  might 
he  added  many  others  of  those  experienced  in 
open-sea  sealing.^ 

The  certainty  of  extermination  of  the  herd  if    opinions  of  in- 
not  protected  is  also  set  forth  by  many  of  the 
Indian  hunters,  whose  long  experience  and  care- 
ful observatiov    ^'  the  condition  of  the  mijrratinsf 


•  Vol.  II,  p.  »J2. 

-Vol.  II,  p.  340. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  458. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  4.-)6.  ' 

Tlioni.is  (Jibson,  Vol.  11,  p.  432;  A.  .1.  ITofTninn,  Vol.  IT,  p.  447; 
V.  F.  Feeuoj',  Vol.  II,  p.  220;  Liitlior  '!'.  Fiunkliu,  Vol.  II,  p.  426; 
U.  Holm,  Vol.  II,  p.  368;  Martin  Benson,  Vol.  II,  p.  406. 


24« 


PROTKf  rrON   AND    PRRSERVANIOV. 


'^^.* 


f*'- si  ^^ 


w 


M:^--: 


(>i.iiii.m!»  of  in-liord  tVoiii  \iiiir  to  yoar  inako  tliom  fully  coiiinc- 
t(!nt  to  }jfiv(f  an  opiniim  of  value  and  woijj^lit. 
Alfred  Irviiif;»-,  a  Makah  Indian  hunter,  says:  "If 
they  keep  on  killing^  them  with  *^uns  there  will 
be  none  left  in  a  little  while.'  Selwish  Johnson, 
of  the  same  tribe,  sayw:  "If  hunted  with  gnus 
they  will  all  soon  be  destroyed.'"^  Gonastut,  an 
Indian  belonging  to  the  Yakutat  tribe,  after  stat- 
ing that  seals  are  becoming  very  scarce,  gives  as 
a  reason  that  too  many  schooners  are  hunting; 
them,  adding  "  Seals  will  soon  be  no  more  unless 
the  Great  Father  stops  the  schooners  from  hunt- 
ing."'' And  a  great  many  more  Indians  make 
like  statements.* 

Opinions  of      Other  witnesses,  who  are  thoroughly  familiHr 

other  wituesses.  ^      •/ 

with  the  habits  and  nature  of  the  Alaskan  fur 
seals,  or  who  have  had  ample  opportiniity  to  ex- 
amine the  constant  decrease  and  compare  it  witJi 
the  known  facts  and  figures  of  pelagic  sealing 
and  its  increase,  give  like  opinions  as  to  the  nerd 
of  protection  if  the  seals  are  to  be  preserved.'' 
Mr.  Maxwell  Cohen  says:  "After  twenty-two 
years'  experience  in  Alaska  in  the  fur  business,  I 

•Vol.  II,  p.  .387. 

«  Vol.  II,  p.  389. 

3  Vol.  II,  p.  238. 

*  Peter  Brown,  Vol.  II,  p.  378;  Thomas  Zolnoks,  Vol.  II,  p.  H99; 
Chillies  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  297. 

\Samiiel  Fakoner,  Vol.11,  p.  162;  M.  A.  Healy,  Vol.  II,  p.  28;  A. 
P.  Lon.l,  Vol.  IT  ,..  .ia,  H.  O.  Otis,  Vol.  II,  p.  88;  Wni.  II.  Wil- 
liiiius,  Vol.  II,  p.  !M;  Aggie  Kiishiu,  Vol.  II,  p.  130;  C.  M.  Scam- 
mon.  Vol.  II,  pp.  475,476. 


ALASKAN   HERD. 


249 


liiivo  no  liositatioii  in  s}iyini»-  that  if  the  fur-seal    ophiioiiM  <if 

othui'  wituMseH. 

siMn'iert  is  to  be  saved  from  extinction,  all  pelaj^lc 
setilinj^  must  cease,"  '  Dr.  II.  11.  Mclntyre,  after 
twenty  years  of  careful  study  of  the  habits  and 
condition  of  the  seal  herd,  necessitated  by  his 
])()sition  as  residiiut  superintendent  of  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company  on  the  Pribilof  Islands, 
says:  "I  am  fully  convinced,  from  my  kn(>wl- 
cdye  of  seal  matters,  that  if  this  indiscriminate 
and  reckless  destruction  of  the  Pribilof  sghI  herd 
continues  as  it  has  done  in  the  [)ast  six  years  in 
Bering  Sea  and  the  North  Pacific,  the  seals  will 
be  practically  exterminated  in  a  very  few  j-ears, 
even  if  the  United  States  (xovernment  should  not 
allow  any  seals  to  be  taken  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands,  for  the  destruction  of  females  in  the 
water  has  reached  a  number  that  can  not  be  met 
by  the  annual  increase," " 

The  facts  thus  submitted  are,  that  the  Alaskan  Conclusions, 
seal  herd  has  decreased  to  a  great  extent  in  the 
last  few  years;  that  the  sole  cause  of  such 
decrease  has  been  the  indiscriminate  and  waste- 
ful slaughter  of  seals  in  the  open  seas,  particu- 
larly pregnant  and  nursing  females;  that  if  such 
destruction  continues  the  northern  fur-seal  will 
l)c  practically  exterminated;  and  that  both  from 


2716- 


-32 


'  Vol.  II.  p.  225. 
3  Vol.  II,  p.  46. 


li'^ 


r 


m.^,^V:l 


K 


¥ 


M^' 


TrrKf 


!*ii:ib;i 


250  PKOTECTHBN    KiUi    PRESEEYATION. 

Couclimiona.      a  scitMitifir  j)oiiit  of  vi(^u  and  from  nctual  pxpcri- 

eiU'o  it  is  mM'<^!4Hnry  to  ))roT<M't  tlic  seal  licnl  tVmii 

tluH  uie}iu>  <>t  slau<,'"hr,t-r  in  order  to  preserve  tlic 

specieH. 

Mofuis  neces-      (7noii  the  questioii  what  are  the  restnetions  ui 
Hiuy.  ... 

proliihitious   needful    to   acconiidish    the   desii('(| 

results,  it  is  <>uly  necessary  to  consi(U3r  tliosc 
appHcalxle  to  open-sea  seahujj-,  for  it  has  ahejidv 
been  shown  that  i-ej^'uhitions  can  be  enforced 
upon  tlie  Pribilof  Ishuids  so  that  a  certain  num- 
ber of  young  male  seals  can  be  taken  annua II v 
on  the  inlands  for  an  indidinite  period  without 
decreasiiajg  or  impairing'  the  normal  condition  <it 
the  herd,  and  this  is  particularly  rfhown  b\  tlic 
American  Commissioners  and  various  witnesses. ' 
As  to  what  restrictions  are  necessar}*  to  he 
entorced  in  relation  to  pelairic  sealing,  the  opin- 
ions natui'allv  vary  according  to  the  knowledge, 
prejudice,  or  r',ouclusio)is  of  the  individual.  Tlicsc 
opuiions  nay  l>e  placed  in  two  classes,  absolute 
prohibition  and  limited  })rohibition.  Naturally, 
the  majorrtrv  of  those  whose  interests  would  l»o 
affected  by  an  abs<dute  prohibition  of  open-se;i 
sealing  in  aU  waters  frequented  by  the  Alask;iii 
herd,   will    )►♦■   found   affirming  the   need   of  ;i 

'  Rwpon  ot' AiBerirnv  HpriiiK  H<»a  ('((inniisHioiiers,  jioxt,  ]>.  li.'c'; 
H.  H.  M.'niyn-.  Vol.  [I,  p.  .l,->;  William  H.  Williams,  sol.  11,  |i, 
94j  litioc^  Wanlnimi.  vol.  II,  i>.  17!»;  W.  H.  IJall.  vol.  II,  p.  I'l. 


■I;;  '4i:i 


Mm  m, 


ft- 1      " 


ALASKAN    HERD. 


251 


limited  prolii})ition,  wliile  tliose  who  are  unbiased    Motms  neceH- 

s:irv. 

by  interest  <ir  who  desire  the  preservation  ot  the 
seal  dtclare  tliat  absohite  prohibition  can] only 
aeconn.lish  its  preservation. 

xMr.  Phillip  Liitley  Sclater,  Ph.  I).,  secretar^•    Absolute  proiu- 

bitidii    oC    pelagic 

ot"  the  Zoolojjfieal  Society  of  London,  says  that,  8«itiiii{?. 
in  his  opinion  as  a  naturalist,  "unless  proper 
measures  are  taken  to  restrict  the  indiscriminate 
capture  of  the  fur  seal  in  the  North  Pacific  the 
extermination  of  this  species  will  take  place  in 
ii  few  years,  as  it  has  already  done  in  the  case 
of  other  species  of  the  same  group  in  other 
parts  of  the  world;"  that  "it  seems  to  him  that 
the  proper  way  of  proceeding  would  be  to  stop 
the  killing-  of  females  and  young  of  the  fur-seal 
altogether,  or  as  far  as  possible,  and  to  restrict 
the  killing  of  the  males  to  a  certain  nundier  in 
each  year;"  and  that  "the  only^  way  he  can 
imagine  b}'  which  these  rules  could  be  earned 
(»ut  is  by  killing  the  seals  only  on  the  islands  at 
the  ])reeding  tune  (at  which  time  it  ap[)ears  that 
the  }'(mng  males  keej)  apart  from  the  females 
;md  old  males),  and  by  i)reventing  altogethci-,  as 
t;ir  a-  possible,  the  destruction  of  the  fur-seals  at 
nil  other  times  and  in  other  [jlaces."'  Professor 
l);dl,   whose  o])inion  must    necessarily    he  con- 

'  I',  L.  Scl.ittT,  \(il.  I.  II.  113.     St.'eals(i(|iiot;iti(m  IVomriol'.  T.  H. 
Ilii\l(i.v,  ante,  p.  240. 


■-*r'- 

n 


*U^I 


') 


52 


PROTECTION    AND    PRESERVATION. 


Absolute  probi-sidered  as  ontirelv  uiibiasod,  unless  a   seieiitifi 

'litioii   (if   pclajric 


«)ualiiig. 


interest  can  be  rej^nrded  as  a  biar.,  says:  "U| 
the  amount  of  protection  depends  the  safety  of 
tlie  seal  herd  in  the  future.  If  protected  (nil\ 
upon  the  Pribilof  Islands,  extermination  will  lie 
ra})id;  if  they  are  protected  upon  the  islam  U 
and  in  the  waters  of  B(}rin<jf  sea  also,  the  decrease 
will  be  slower,  but  ultimate  extinction  will  prolj- 
ably  follow.  To  preserve  them  completely  it  is 
necessary  that  the}'  should  be  protectcnl  in  all 
waters  which  the}'  frequent  at  all  times.'"  Mr. 
C  A.  Williams,  whose  lon<>'  ex])erience  in  the 
fur  busine.ss  has  made  him  thor<)u<>;hly  com})cteut 
to  speak  on  this  ([uestion,  and  wh<»se  interest  is 
no  longer  affected  by  the  preservation  of  tin- 
seal  herd,  says  that  he  "regards  it  as  important 
that  the  seal  herd  should  be  })rotected  *  *  * 
in  the  North  Pacific,  as  otherwise  they  will  be 
exterminated,  even  if  .sealing  be  prohibited  in 
the  Bering  Sea."^  Dr.  II.  H.  Mclntyre  says: 
"In  my  judgment  the  seals  should  be  jn-otected 
in  Bering  Sea  and  the  North  Pacific,  and  tli;it 
pelagic  sealing  should  be  entirely  prohibited  in 
said  waters."''  Mr.  Alfred  Fraser,  already  men- 
tioned as  a  British  subject,  whose  interests  jiic 
entirely    with    the  contiiuiance  of  the    sealskin 

'Vol.  II,  p.  24. 
«Vol.  II,  p.  538. 
'  Vol.  11,  p.  46. 


i.  4 


ALASKA:^   HERD. 


253 


indnstrv  in  Loudon,  says  "tliat,  in  his  iudffment,    Absolute  pr<.iii- 
the  H))sohite  prohibition  of  ))olagic  sealing-,  i  e.,  seai'i'g- 
tlie  killing-  of  seals  in  the  open  sea,  whether  in  the 
North  Pacific  or  the  Jiering-  Sea,  is  necessary  to 
the  })reservation  of  the  seal  herds  now  surviv- 
ing."'   J3esides  the  statements  jjiven  above,  uianv 
otlier  witnesses  express  the  same  opinion." 
Those  asserting-  the  Jieed  of  oniv  a  limited  pro-    Limitoiiproiiii.i 

"  •'  ^  1 1  on    o  I    pt  1  :i  <{  I  r 

Ii;])ition  are  divided  in  their  views  as  to  tljc '*''■''"'"• 
means  necessary,  some  advocating-  a  close  season, 
in  which  all  killing-  of  seals  should  l)e  prohil)- 
ited,  others  that  the  use  of  lirearms  in  taking- 
seals  should  be  forbidden,  others  that  the  seal 
herd  should  not  be  molested  in  the  waters  of 
IJering  Sea,  and  still  others  who  btdieve  that  a 
zone  about  the  islands  of  from  thirty  to  fifty 
miles  would  be  sufficient. 

The  first  of  these  propositions  is  supported  by  a  <iose seaHon. 
a  number  of  sealers,  but  the  period  of  time  in 
which  pelagic  sealing  should  be  prohibited  varies- 
Daniel  Claussen  advocates  a  close  season  from 
July  1  to  the  last  of  October;^  Arthur  Griffin, 
from  Aju'il  to  Sept;Mnber  1,  inclusive;^  Joshua 

I  Vol.  11,  p.  557. 

\V.  ('.("oiilsoii,  Vu\.  II.  ]).  110;  T.  F.  R.Viiu,  Vol.  11,  p.  175;  .1.  H. 
.Moiiltoii,  Vol.ll.p.7;i;  W.  It.  Taylor,  v„l.  II,  i».  177;  H.  V.  SniWii.  r, 
\  1)1.  II,  p.  !K);  'I'.  1'.  .\l()ii«{Ui.  \iii.  II.  p.  ti'i;  (iiistavt'  Ihmiu'moii,  \o1. 
ll,p.  Il();.l.  a.  llru'llrv.  Vol.  II,  p.L'L'7;  I!.  W.  Mcliit.yn-,  \ol.  II,  p. 

»Vnl.    II,  p.    112. 

*V<>\.  II,  p.  3-'(J. 


■^■J&^ 


mtn 


lHI* 


254 


PROTECTION    AND   PRESERVATION. 


1  iVNS*,  , 


"li  i< 


pii; 


AcioaespaKoii.  Sticklniul,  iVom  May  1  to  Se])teinber  15  ;^  Fnnik 
Johnson  from  the  Lst  of  .Julv  to  the  end  <»f  the 
year:^  G.  E.  Miner,  from  January  1  to  Au<>'ust 
15.'  James  Kiernan  says  the  seals  sliould  he 
protected  from  February  until  October,^  and 
Isaac  M.  Lenard,  from  February  to  November  ' 
Tliomas  Brown  (No.  1.)  says  that  in  order  t(t 
prevent  the  extermination  of  seals  tlie  Imnting-  of 
them  sliould  be  prohibited  until  after  the  motlier 
seals  give  birth  to  their  young-;*  wliich  opinion 
is  also  advanced  l)y  Capt.  Victor  Jackobsoii.' 
William  Short  say;:  that  sealing  should  be  i)ro- 
liibited  in  the  Nortli  Pacific  before  the  middh^  ot 
June.^  And  Charles  Peterson  says:  "The  prac- 
tice of  taking  seals  in  the  water  before  they  give 
birth  to  tlieir  young  is  destructive  to  seal  life  and 
should  be  prohibited."  * 

A  close  Hoasoii  ^  olance  at  the  above  opinions  of  those  who 
liave  been  or  are  engaged  in  pelagic  sealing  is 
sufficient  to  show  that  a  close  season  can  not 
accom})lish  the  preservation  of  tlie  seal,  for,  taken 

'  Vol.  II,  p.  350. 

■^Vol.  II,  p.  441. 

^  Vol.  II,  p.  467.    See  also  Georgo  Dishow,  Vol.  II,  p.  323. 

<  Vol.  II,  p.  451. 

»Vol.  II,  p.  217. 

«Vol.  II,  p.  319. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  328. 

"Vol.  II.  p. 348. 

«  Vol.  11,  p.  346. 


fl'iin 


•■'Ir 


m- 


Si''' 

' ::  ■'^- 

w' 

■'•^mtH 

1^'. 

'^^ 

^mt  • 

.;,           '  •  "'  '^ 

irfn/ 

•                   F               .'l"' 

[''"*'  ;  ■ 

,if)  ^.  ••( 

s>^. 

,.;.  ''^m 

ALASKAN    HERD. 


255 


(M)llectively,  every  "loiitli  in  tlioycar  iscomnrised  a  ri<m«<  season 
ill  the  stiitenieiit  of  one  sealer  or  aiu)tlier,  evitlently 
showing  that  in  every  month  tlie  seal  herd  needs 
[)rotection.  Dr.  George  Dawson,  one  of  the 
liritish  Bering  Sea  Connnissioners,  in  an  article 
entitled  "Note  on  the  Question  of  Protection  of 
the  Fur  8eal  in  the  North  Pacific,"  which  was 
inclosed  in  a  connnunication  from  Sir  Julian 
I'auncefote  to  Mr.  iilaine,  dated  March  9,  IHOO, 
says:  ''The  circumstance  that  the  female  fur- 
seal  becomes  pregnant  within  a  few  days  after 
the  birth  of  its  young,  and  that  the  perifsd  of 
gestation  is  nearly  twelve  months,  with  the  fact 
that  the  skins  are  at  all  times  fit  for  market 
(though  for  a  few  weeks,  extending  from  the 
middle  of  August  to  the  end  of  September,  during 
the  progress  of  shedding  an<l  renewal  of  the  longer 
hair,  they  are  of  less  value),  show  that  there  is 
no  natural  basis  for  a  close  season  generally 
applicable."'  And  Sir  George  Haden- Powell, 
the  other  British  Bering  Sea  Commissioner,  in  a 
letter  to  the  London  Times,  publislied  Saturday, 
November  30,  1889,  opposes  a  close  season  for 
nil  mouths  excepting  July,  August,  and  Sei)tem- 
I)er,  on  the  ground  that  "the  Canadian  sealers 
connnence  sealing  in  December  and  seal  contin- 


'Sir  Julian  Panncpfote  to  Mr.  Hliiine,  MaroJi  9,  1890.  iiiclosniv 
No.  4. 


:S'.a 


y\ 


ff  IT  •>  • 


E't 


25fi 


PROTEf'TION   AND    PRESERVATION. 


Mm 


[miWm'\- 


-x     ' 


Proliibitioii 
use 


A  (lost'  season  uoiisly from  tlioii  till  Au}jfii.st."     I'rofessor  Huxlc'V 

iiiiltriuticiililc.  -^  "  ^ 

ulso  says:  "In  such  n  case  as  this  I  do  not  believe 
that  the  enforcement  of  a  close  time,  either  in 
IJerinjr  Sea  or  on  the  Northwest  Coast,  Avould 
be  of  any  practical  utility,  unless  the  fishing  is 
absolutely  })rohibitecl." ' 
rohii.itioii    of     The  second  means  of  protection,  the  prohibition 

ot  hreaniis.  "^  ' 

(^f  the  use  of  firearms,  is  naturally  advanced  b\ 
the  Indian  hunters.-  It  is  but  necessary  to  recall 
the  fact  that  with  less  than  twenty  vessels  engaged 
in  sealing  during-  the  years  from  1880  to  1885, 
when  spears  were  practically  the  sole  weapon 
ib»ed  in  the  chase,  the  seals  ceased  to  increase.' 
If,  then,  the  present  fleet  (^f  over  a  hundred  ves- 
sels carried  only  Indian  hunters  it  is  evident  the 
seals  would  still  decrease,  for  the  catch  of  tlic 
Indian,  like  that  of  the  white  man,  is  composed  of 
the  same  proportion  of  female  seals  and  is  entirel}' 
indiscriminate/ 

The  third  proposition  is  to  close  Bering  Se;i, 
from  the  invasion  of  sealing  vessels.''  "^Plie  same 
suggestion  made  on  the  last  point  stated,  that  the 
seals  ceased  to  increase  from  1880  to  1885,  with 


ProhiViitioii  of 
|i('lii;;ic  MMliiiu  ill 
Ijui'iug  i^a. 


'Statement  of  Prot.  T.  J.  Uiixley,  Vol.  I,  p.  412. 

■Twoiigkwiik,  Vol.  II,  ]..  '>U\;  Kiii^'  Kooaa,  Vol.  II,  p.  240.  Sfi) 
also  F.  R.  Kiiis'-Miill,  Vol.  II,  \>.  :«4. 

^Jnte,  p.  165. 

^Mifliael  WoDskoot.  Vol.  II,  ]k  27.">;  Rolit-rt  Kooko.  Vol.  II,  jt. 
296;  .lack  Sliiicky,  Vol.  II,  \>.  2«t;  Cliarlif  Tlaksatau,  Vol.  II,  p.  270. 

'William  H.  Smith,  Vol.  II,  p.  ITK. 


ALASKAN    IIEUD. 


2;')  7 


g  Sea 

saiiu' 

lit  the 

,  witli 

less  tliMii  twenty  vessels  iii  the  busiiuiL^s,  is  finpli-    Pniiiiiiiiion    «f 

|M'liijiic  sciliiif;-  ill 

ial)le  to  tliis  method  of  protection;  tor,  as  has  ist'iiujj  tj^'i- 
iihvady  been  stated,  the  seaHn^  vessels  at  that 
lime  seldom  entered  Merin"'  Sea,  eontininir  their 
(ipeivitious  {dmost  entirely  to  the  North  Pacific,* 
and  therefore  a  lar<^e  increase  in  the  fleet,  even 
tlionu'h  e.M'luded  from  that  sea,  would  idtimately 
cause  the  practical  extinction  of  the  hei'd.  The 
ISritish  Government,  throui^'h  its  Minister  to  the 
I'liited  States,  Sir  Julian  Pauncefote,  in  April, 
1s:H),  submitted  proposals  for  a  convention,  iu 
relMt!')U  to  the  sealinj^  industry  in  ]ierin<^  Sea 
and  thv'  Sea  of  Okhotsk,  in  which  Great  Britain, 
h'ussia,  and  the  United  States  shonld  join.  In 
these  proposals  the  area  sugg-ested  to  be  closed 
included  not  oidy  Bering-  Sea,  but  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  south  of  the  Alaska 
Peninsula  and  the  eastern  Aleutian  Passes.^ 
And  in  the  earlier  correspondence  Great  Britain 
even  proposed  to  extend  the  legislatives  protec- 
tion as  fai"  south  as  the  forty-seventh  parallel.^ 
Sir  George  BackMi- Powell,  one  of  the  British 
Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  ni  an  article  which 
was  published  in  "The  New  Review,"  February, 

'  Jh/c,  p.  IfiG. 

■  l.ctti'V  of  Sir  J,   raiiiurlolc  ti)  Mr.  iJlMiiic,  (luted   Aiti'il  — , 
lN:t().  iiu'losiirc  1. 

Mr.  Wliitc  to    Mr.  liiiVMid.    April  :J(i.  18^!X:  Miiniiiis  of  .Salis- 

»  .1  7  1 

iiiuy  tnSirL.  West,  April  Ki,  1X8S.     Sec  also  Sir. Jiiliiiii  I'aiiiici'folo 
i(..\n-.  Whartiiii,  .liiiit'  11,  1S!»1. 


^m 


W^ 


!71<i 


!3 


;*.;«■',' 


W^r 


n.s 


M 


'r.-»<': 


'a. 


w . 


«)i 


ij%     1  iff   H  *  i 


258 


PROTEfVnON   AND    PUKSKliVATlON. 


rioiiibition   of  1 891,  says:  "Effectively  to  protect  the  induslry 

lieliijfic  sealing  iii  •'  ./  i 

lioriug  Sea.  quq  would  lifive  to  iucliule  all  tlie  Pacific  Ocean 
and  coasts  thereof  to  north  of,  say,  latitude  50 
deg"."^  Great  Britain  has  therefore  conceded 
that  the  seal  herd  needs  protection  outside 
Bering  Sea  duiing  the  greater  portion  of  its 
migration. 
I'rohii.itio  11   of     Tlie  fourtli  and  last  means  of  a  limited  iH-olii- 

witiiiiiuzono.  hjtion  proposed  is  to  draw  an  imagiiuiry  line 
about  the  islands  within  wliicli  open-sea  sealing 
sliould  be  prohibited.  The  distance  suggested 
as  a  radius  for  such  a  zone  about  tlie  Pril)il()f 
Islands  varies  from  twenty-five^  or  thirty^  to  fifty 
miles.^ 

To  show  how  ineflFective  such  a  means  of  ])ro- 
tection  would  be  it  is  but  necessary  to  examine 
the  charts  showiny  the  courses  of  sealinn- 
schooners  seized  in  Bering  Sea  in  1887,  which 
have  been  platted,  from  the  original  log  books  of 
the  vessels  in  the  possession  of  the  United  States 
Government,  by  the  Bureau  of  the  United  States 
Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  and  which  have  been 

'  "Tim  Heritijj  Sc.i  Dispute:  A  Sottlciiient,"  by  Sir  Geor^'e 
Badeii-l'owt'll,  Vol.  I,  p.  58!t. 

^Lord  Stanley  of  Preston  to  Lord  Kimtsford,  Feb.  28,  IS'Ji!, 
Britisb  Ulne  Hook,  IJ.  S.    Xo.  1  (1892)  C-6(i;«,  Xo.  ."),  p.  2. 

3  Henry  I'oliind,  Vol.  II,  jt.  572;  Sir  .J.  Pannccfote  to  the  M;in|iiis 
of  Salisbury,  Fob.  2(5,  18!)2,  IJritisii  lilue  Book,  U.  S.  No.  1  (1892), 
C-66.'i3,  No.  8,  p.  3. 

<  Morris  Moss,  Vol.  II,  p.  342. 


Coiirsrs  ()f  seal 
iiijl  vessels. 


ALASKAN   HERD. 


259 


icitifuMl  to  by  the  Cliitif  of  tluit  liureau.  An  ConrsoH of  seai- 
tXiiMiiiiutioii  of  the  coarse  of  tlie  Hritisli  schooner 
Add,  of  Victoria,  liritisli  Coluiiihiu,  will  at  once 
prove  the  inefficacy  of  a  zone  as  a  means  of 
protection,  for  it  is  there  shown  that  within  a 
<)iven  area  the  nearest  point  of  which  is  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  miles  from  the  islands 
the  catch  for  thirteen  days  was  seven  hundred  and 
forty-seven  seals,  while  in  a  j^iven  area  nearly 
one  hundred  miles  nearer  the  Pribilof  Islands 
tlie  catch  for  eighteen  days  was  but  five  hundred 
and  fifty-six;  and,  further,  that  at  no  time  was 
the  vessel  within  forty-five  miles  of  the  seal  rook- 
eries.' The  course  of  the  British  schooner  Alfred 
Adams  shows  the  nearest  point  to  the  islands 
where  seals  were  taken  by  her  in  1887  was 
about  sixty  miles  south  of  St.  George  Island,  and 
that  the  majority  of  her  catch  was  made  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  from  the  islands.^ 
The  schooner  Ellen  never  came  within  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  miles  of  the  rookeries  on 
the  islands,^  and  the  schooner  Annie's  nearest 
jipitroach  to  the  islands  was  seventy-seven  miles, 
her  usual  distance  beinjr  over  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  therefrom.^    Kdward  Shield,  of  Sooke 

'  Cliiirt  of  course  of  scliooiior  .tdd,  \'(>l.  I,  ]).  .571. 
•'(!liiirt  of  coiirso  of  sclmoncr  Alfred  .Idnms,  \'ol.  I,  )).  .")13. 
'  Cliai't  of  f'.()iir,s(!  of  H  liooiuu'  Ellin.  Vol.  I,  p.  '<'2^). 
'CliMll  111'  ((iiirKc  of  si'lioonrr  .liinic,  N'ol.  I,  ]).  .");U. 


1*^ 


'im  ^^ 


-  «;^, 


200 


rnOTECTTON   AND   rRESETJVATIOIf. 


m^::^:^ 


.*S^i^,t?'5it; 


coiiiMHoC  sciii- District,  Vfincouvor  Island,  one  of  tho  liuntcis 
on  board  the  Hritish  sclioonor  C((rolin(i,Hin7A-i\  l»y 
Ca})tiiin  Al)l)oy,  United  Statos  Rovonuo  Marl:  1 , 
in  iSSd,  says:  "Durinj>-  tlie  time  wliilo  wo  w(  iv 
ernisin.iif  alxait  wo  wcn^  in  tlio  open  sea  f>nt  u[' 
siju'lit  of  land.'"  Much  otlier  testimony  of  tiic 
same  nature  mi<4ht  he  advanced,  but  it  will  I  0 
snfficient  to  mention  only  tho  declarations  df 
James  Dou^^-las  Warren  as  to  the  ])laces  nf 
sei/iUre  in  the  cases  of  the  W.  P.  Snijivanl,  draii', 
A)ni(i  Beck,  Dolphin,  Alfrnl  A<hi)ns,  and  .hla, 
vessels  seized  by  the  United  States  Governincut 
in  1887,  the  distance  given  shows  how  the  seals 
■wander  many  miles  from  land,  for  in  all  cases 
Mr.  Warren  states  the  vessel  was  enga<<'e(l  in 
sealin<r  at  the  distances  given:  the  W.  P.  Saijininl 
abont  fifty-eight  miles  from  Unalaska,  the 
nearest  laud;^  the  Grace  abont  ninety-two  miles 
from  Unalaska,  th  enearest  land;'  the  Awki  Jlrt I: 
al)ont  sixtv-six  miles  from  the  nearest  land;'  the 
Dolphin  about  fcn-ty-two  miles  from  Unalaska 
Island,  the  nearest  land;^  the  Alfred  Adaius 
about  sixty-two  miles  from  Unalaska  Island,  the 
nearest  land,"  and  the  Ada  about  fifteen  miles 

I  British  nine.  ISook,  U.  8.  No.  2  (181)0),  C-61dl,  p.8. 

^  1  hid.,  It.  U5. 

3  Ibid.,  p.  148. 

■•  Jhid.,  p.  152. 

^  I  hid.,  p.  156. 

eifci(?.,p.  ICO. 


ALASKAN    IIRRt). 


261 


uortliwiinl   t'nun    Unaliiskii    Isliuul,  wliicli    said    CdursoH  ..r  siai- 

iiig  vunmuIh. 

isliiu<l  was  tlio  nearest  laiul.'" 

SirGe(>r«>e  IJaden-l'ovvell,  iu  tl\e  article  pub- 
lished ill  tlie  "Loiubm  Times,"  already  referred 
to,  says:  "As  a  matter  of  fnct  the  Canadian  sealers 
tiike  very  few,  if  any,  seals  close  to  these  (the 
IVil.ilof)  islands." 

'V\w  American  Commissioners  in  their  report,    Fo^s  in  lUring 

'  Soil. 

iii'ter  speakinn;'  of  the  absurdity  of  such  a  pro- 
posed method  of  protection,  say:  "There  is 
nhiiost  constant  cloudiness  and  dense  fof^,  and  it 
is  (litHcult  for  a  vessel  to  know  her  own  location 
w  ithin  '  jasonable  limits  after  having-  cruised 
about  for  a  short  time.  A  margin  of  uncertainty 
would  be  nearly  as  wide  as  the  zone  itself  .  .  . 
In  most  cases  it  would  be  dilticult  to  prove  that 
the  sealer  was  actually  within  the  forbidden  area."^ 
Cajjtain  She})ard,  of  the  United  States  Revenue 
Marine,  who  seized  a  number  of  vessels  in  1887 
and  1889,  while  eng-aged  in  sealing-  in  Bering 
Sea,  says :  "It  is  ray  opinion  that  should  pelagic 
scaling-  be  prohibited  m  a  zone  thirty,  forty,  or 
fifty  miles  about  the  Probilof  Islands,  it  would 
he  utterly  useless  as  a  protection  to  seal  life, 
because  female  seals  g-o  nuicli  farther  than  that 


I  British  IJiut'  Hook,  U.  S.  No.  2  (ISJIO),  (.'-6131,  p.   101.     Siic  also 
Williiim  If.  Smith,  Vol.11,  }>.    ITS:  Frt'd  Sinitii,  V^)l.  11,  p.  3t9. 
'Report  of  Aiuei'ican  Hfiiiig  Sea  t'ouiiiiis8iimer.s,  [wxt,  p.  376. 


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202 


PROTKfTION  AND  PRESKRVATION. 


tieu. 


-   -t».  -•; 


m 

^■r^:  ^-^- 


F<>};«  ill  Bering  in  search  of  food,  and  because  foo-s  are  so  preva- 
lent about  tliose  islands  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  enforce  any  such  prohibition.'"  Caj)taiii 
Abbey,  also  of  the  United  States  Revenue  Marine, 
wii"»  seized  several  sealino^  vessels  in  ISSG  ii. 
13enng  Sea,  says:  "Fogs  are  ahnost  constant  in 
Bering  Sea  in  the  sununer  tune.  During  tlic 
fifty-eight  days  I  cruised  in  those  waters  fiftx  - 
four  days  were  foggy  and  rainy,  the  other  four 
days  partly  clear.  On  this  account  it  is  most 
difficult  to  seize  vessels  in  liering  Sea.  The  re- 
ports of  the  guns  of  the  hunters  might  often  be 
heard  when  no  vessel  could  be  seen.  For  fifteen 
or  twenty  days  at  a  time  I  did  not  see  the  sun, 
and  never  while  in  Bering  Sea  did  I  see  a  star, 
the  nights  being  continually  overcast  and 
foggy.  "^  Captain  Bryant,  already  mentioned  as 
the  Government  agent  on  the  Pribilof  Islands 
from  1870  to  1H77,  and  who  prior  to  that  time 
had  been  captain  of  a  whaling  vessel  which  for 
several  years  ha«l  been  in  Bering  Sea,  says :  "  A 
zone  thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  miles  about  the  island 
in  which  seahng  is  prohibited  would  be  of  little 
or  no  protection,  as  the  females,  during  the 
breeding  season  after  their  pups  are  born,  wan- 
der at  intervals  over  liering  Sea  in  search  of 
food.     But,  to  suppose  an  impossibility,  even  it 

'  Vol.  II,  i».  189. 
n'ol.  II,  p.  186. 


ALASKAN    HERD. 


263 


sucli  a  zotio  couM  protect  seal  life,  it  woiiM  Ix'sel"''  '"  ^"'""^ 
Impossible,  on  account  of  the  atmosphere  beiny 
so  constantly  foggy  and  misty,  to  prevent  ves- 
sels from  crossing  an  imaginary  line  drawn  at 
such  a  distance   from   and   aluuit    the  Pribilof 
Islands.^    Others  also  consider  this  (picstioii  of  a 
protecting  zone  and  give  the  same  opinion  as  the 
witnesses  (quoted  above.^     Commander  C/Iiarles  J. 
Turner,  of  Her  Majesty's  cruiser  Nifmphk^  which 
was  in  Bering  Sea  in   1891,   states    tliat    "the 
weatiier  experienced  on  the  whole  was  very  foggy 
and  rainy,  and  the  fogs  greatly  aided  the  sealing 
sr]Hn>ners  in  escaping  observation."^     And  Lord 
Salisbury,  in  discussing  the  possibility  of  limiting 
sealing  to  one  side  of  a  line  drawn  through  the 
sea,  says  "that  if  seal  hunting  be  })rohil)ited  on 
one  side  of  a  purely  imaginary  line  drawn  in  the 
open  ocean,  while   it  is  permitted  on  the  other 
side  of  the  line,  it  will  be  impossible  in  many 
cases  to  prove  unlawful  sealing,  or  to  infer   it 
from  the  possession  of  skins  or  tishing  tackle."* 
And  the   soundness   of  this    statement  is  still 
more  evident  when  such  an  imaginary  line  is 
almost  continually  enveloped  in  fogs  and  mists. 

'Vol.  II,  p.  9. 

n\.  H.  Molntyre,  Vol.  II,  p.  46;  A.  P.  Loud,  Vol.  II,  p.  39; 
(ieoig.'  Waidiiuin,  Vol.  H,  p.  179;  II.  W.  Mclnlyre,  Vol.  H,  p.  138; 
H.  N.  (lark,  \ol.  II,  p.  KM). 

'iiiitisii  niiio  Hook,  niiii.'ii  statos  No.  :{(is:»i>),  ( -(i(wr>,  p.  115, 

'Sir  .Inliiui  I'luitnclote  to  Mr  Wiiiiiion,  .liiiii;  (i,  1S91  (la- 
I'lusiire). 


204 


THE    SEALSKIN    INDUSTRY 


Ai.sniiit.'  i>r<.)ii-  After  a  careful  consideration  of  the  fum- 
Buiiiiiij;  iiecenBiuy.  methods  of  limited  protection  proposed  above,  it 
is  evident  that  none  of  these  can  preserve  tlio 
Ahiskan  seal  herd  from  certain  destruction  in  the 
near  futiu'e,  no  matter  how  stringently  they  may 
be  enforced.  The  result,  therefore,  of  this  con- 
sideration is,  that,  if  it  is  deemed  necessary  or 
expedient  from  a  practical  and  commercial  point 
of  view  to  preserve  the  seal  herds  of  the  Nortli 
Pacific  and  Berin<r  Sea,  pelagic  sealing  in  every 
form  and  in  all  waters  must  be  absolutely  pro- 
hibited at  all  times. 


a'<i 


THE  SEAL-SKIN  INDUSTRY. 
IN   THE    PAST. 

The  commercial  value  of  the  Alaskan  seal 
herd,  which  needs  the  protection  already  shown 
in  order  to  preserve  it  from  practical  extincti(»n, 
is  evident  on  an  examination  of  the  seal-skiii 
industry  as  it  formerly  existed  and  as  it  is  at 
the  present  time, 
soiiices  of  sup-  Formerly — that  is,  prior  to  the  American  oc- 
cupation  of  Alaska  and  Bering  Sea,  the  great 
sources  of  supply  for  fur-seal  skins  were  in  both 
the  southern  and  northern  hemispheres.  Amony 
those  located  in  the  antarctic  regions,  and  from 


^kk. 


IN   THE    PAST. 


265 


rican  oc- 


wliieli   hundreds   of  thousands    of  skins    were    fiources  of  sup- 
ply, 
taken  in  the  early  part  of  tliis    century   were 

Siuidwichland,  South  Slietland  Islands,  Desola- 
ti<)n  Island,  Goughs  Island,  Kerguelen  Island, 
Massafuero  Island,  San  Juan  Fernandez  Island, 
the  Falkland  Islands,  TieiTa  del  Fuego,  Pata- 
gonia, Cape  Horn,  South  Georgia  Islands,  the 
Crozets,*  the  Cape  of  Good  E  ope,  New  Zealand, 
and  other  localiti<AS  described  by  Dr.  Allen.' 

It  has  already  been  shown  how  completely 
these  antarctic  rookeries  have  been  depleted,' 
hut  an  instance  of  the  enormous  numbers  taken 
by  sealers  in  a  short  time,  which  shows  how 
populous  these  southern  coasts  and  islands  had 
once  been  in  seal  life,  is  found  in  the  case  of 
tlie  South  Shetlands,  where  three  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  skins  were  taken  in  two  years 
(1821-1823),*  and  also  in  the  case  of  Massafuero, 
from  which  island  there  were  shipped  *o  Canton 
in  seven  years  over  three  million  fur-seal  skins.* 
Hc'sides  the  antarctic  sources  of  seal  skins  there 
were  those  which  may  be  called  subtropical, 
consisting    of  the    Guadalui)e    and    Galapagos 

'  Kmil  Teichnianii,  Vol.  II,  p.  577 ;  .Tames  W.  Rii(linf>toii,  Vol.  II, 
PI..  .-.!l3-e94;  «»org«  Fo>,'«!l,  Vol.  II, p.  424;  C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.11, 
]>.  .">3();  Oeorjj;e  Coiiu'r,Vol.  II.  p.  ,')!Ht;  Alfred  Friwer,Vol.  II,  p.  555. 
Article  by  Ur.  Allen,  Parts  I  ami  II;  Vol.  I,  pp.  375,  3U4. 

'.In^e,  p.  218. 

<  C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  541. 

2716 34 


266 


THE    SEALSKIN    INDUSTRY 


HI 


w 


SonroMi  of  »up- iHlaiuls,  Lobos  Islaiulij,'  St.  P'elix  and  St.  Aiiiliiosi 
islands,*  the  depleted  condition  of  all  whicli  is 
well  known,  except  Lobos  lisland,  which,  as 
before  shown,  has  been  long  protected  by  tiio 
Uruguayan  Government.'  The  arctic  sup})ly 
was,  as  now,  the  Pribilof  Islands,  the  Ooniinaiider 
Islands,  Ilobben  Reef,  and  the  Kririle  Islands,  all 
these  except  the  last  mentioned  being  directly 
under  the  control  and  management  of  the  Russian 
American  Company. 

Markets.  Prior  to  1870  all  the  fur-seal  skins  save  a  few 

thousand  were  marketed  and  sold  in  China, 
where  the  skins  were  plucked,*  the  comiuercial 
value  being  about  five  dollars  in  that  country 
and  something  less  in  Europe  ; '  but  the  supply 
being  so  irregular  the  market  price  fluctuated  so 
that  a  cargo  of  skins  was  sometimes  sold  as  \o\\ 
as  fifty  cents  per  skin.'  Russia  also  received  a 
portion  of  the  supply  obtained  by  the  Russian 
American  Company.'     A  few   skins,    however, 

I C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  542. 

» Article  by  Dr.  Allen,  Prtrts  I  and  II,  Vol.  I,  pp.  371, 393;  Oiiftiu  y, 
Vol.ir.p.m 

'Eiiiil  Teichmann,  Vol.  II,  p.  578;  Alfred  Frazer,  Vol.  II,  p.5.")C; 
Urnjjuii.viiii  doeiuneutH,  Vol.  I, )).  MX. 

<Eiiiil  Tei<hiniinii,  Vol.  II,  j>.577;  C.  A.  Winianis,  Vol.  II,  p.nil; 
Letter  Iroiu  the  Board  of  Administration  of  the  Hiissiau  Aimiii  an 
Coin]):in,y  to  General  Manager  Itaranof,  d.ited  April  6  (18),  1817, 
Vol.1,  p.  80. 

»/6irf,  Vol.n,p..">42. 

•Letter  from  Board  of  Administration  of  Russian  Amoriraii  C'cmi- 
pany  to  Captain  Rudakof,  dated  April  22  (May  4),  1853,  Vol.  1,  p.  »-2. 


IN  THE    PRESENT. 


267 


w^re  purchased  in  Enj^laiul  by  J.  M.  Oppenheim  Markets. 
iSi  Oompany,'  and  in  the  fifties  New  York*  also  re- 
ceived a  supply  from  the  Russian  Auiericun  Com- 
pany, but  it  was  not  until  the  lease  of  the  Pvibilof 
Islands  to  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  in 
ir~0,  and  through  the  united  efforts  of  that 
Coirpany  with  C.  M.  Lampson  &  Company  that 
the  sealskin  industry  received  the  impetus  which 
lias  built  it  up  to  its  present  condition;^  At  the 
same  time  the  methods  of  dyeing  and  dressing 
the  skins  were  perfected  through  the  same 
ngency,  and  sealskins  made  an  article  of  fashion 
ill  general  use  in  Europe  and  America,  and 
became  much  more  valuable  as  merchandise* 


IN   THE    PRESENT. 

As  a  result  of  these  endeavors  and  the  increased 
|)rices,  London  has  become  practically  the  sole 
market  in  which  the  skins  of  the  fur-seal  are  sold, 
an<l  buyers  gather  there  semiannually  from 
from  different  countries  to  purchase  the  jkihs,'' 
which,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thiuisand  or  more,  are  sold  at  public  auction.* 

'  Walter  E.  Martin,  \<)l.  II,  p.  567. 

''Letter  to  the  Hoard  of  A*liiiiiii.stratii)n  of  tlio  Russian  Anioricaa 
Coinnany  from  tlie  i-liief  nianafier  of  tlic  RiiHsian  American  Colo- 
iiii's.  (latf.l  November  «  (20),  1K54,  Vol.  I,  p.  83. 

•  Emil  Teietiniann,  Vol.  II,  p.  oH2. 

'  C.  A.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  54«. 

■*  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  546;  (J.  C.  Lampson,  Vol.  II,  p. 504, 

"II.  S.  JJcviujitou,  Vol.  II,  p.  552. 


f .  ■  *}'  It 

;-^   r'it 


II 


m 


rm 


irs 


THE  Sealskin  tNDusTRt. 


nr|i(Mult'in'o   on 
AluHkitii  luM'il. 


swnrccs  of  sup-  The  principal  sources  i  supply  for  seal  skins 
at  the  present  time  are,  first,  the  Pribilof  Islands ; 
second,  the  Commander  Islands ;  third,  the  North- 
west or  Victoria  catch.*  A  small  supply  is  silso 
received  from  Lobon  Islands,  Cape  Horn,  tin- 
Falklands,^  and  Australasia.' 

The  tables  attached  to  the  affidavit  of  Mr. 
Emil  Teichmann,  of  the  firm  of  C.  M.  Lampsor, 
&  Comj)any,  show  that  the  Pribilof  Islands  luixc, 
since  their  lease  to  the  Alaska  Commercial  Com- 
])any,  and  until  the  year  1890,  supplied  on  an  a\ cr- 
aj»'o  over  one-half  of  the  skins  sold  annually  in 
London;  that,  including  the  Northwest  Ctatch,  tlic 
Alaskan  herd  has  produced  over  sixty  per  cent 
of  the  world's  supply,  and  that  the  two  orcjit 
herds  of  the  North  Pacific  and  Bering  Scii, 
which  are  both  threatened  with  extermination  by 
pehagic  sealing,  are  the  source  of  over  eighty 
per  cent  of  the  skins  annually  oflFered  for  sale  at 
London.  In  1889,  the  last  year  in  which  ono 
hundred  thousand  seals  were  taken  on  the  Prib- 
ilof Islands,  the  luimber  of  skins  derived  from 
these  two  herds  was  ninety -four  per  cent' of  tlic 
whole  supply,  not  twelve  thousand  skins  bein<^- 
obtained  from  other  sources.*  From  the  fon- 
going  it  is  evident  that  the  destruction  of  tlie 

■  Eiiiil  Teichmann,  Vol.  II,  p.  579. 
«H.  S.  BevingtoM,  Vol.  II,  p.  551. 
»  Emil  Toichmiinn,  Vol.  II,  p.  578. 
«£mil  ToiclmiHuu,  Vol.  II,  p.  585. 


LOSS    IF    IIEUI)    DESTROYKD. 


2fii) 


Alaskan  lienl  means  practii'ully  the  anniliilation    ncpoiKience  on 

'  *  Alimkun  beril. 

of  the  seal-skin  industry  oi'  the  world.  There- 
fore, the  extent  and  value  of  this  industry,  the 
consequent  loss  in  case  pelagic  sealinj^  is  not 
prohibited,  besides  the  loss  to  the  United  States 
Government  by  destruction  of  the  seal  herd,  are 
matters  for  consideration  in  this  connection. 


LOSS   IF   HERD    DESTROYED. 

Under  the  present  lease  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  f^^^^^l 
the  United  States  Government  derives  a  revenue 
on  each  ra  w  "^kin  taken  on  the  islands  of  over  ten 
dollars;*  and  under  the  same  conditions  which 
existed  prior  to  the  introduction  of  pelagic  seal- 
ing", as  it  is  now  carried  on,  100,000  seals  could 
be  annually  taken  upon  the  Pribilof  Islands,  as 
has  been  shown,  without  impairment  of  the  seal 
lierd.^  The  annual  revenue  from  this  source 
to  the  United  States  would,  therefore,  be  over 
$1,000,000.  Besides  this  profit  the  United  States 
Government  received  a  further  revenue  from 
Alaskan  seals  reshipped  to  America  from  Eng- 
land. At  least  seventy  per  cent  of  the  Alaska 
skins  are  imported  into  the  United  States  after 
b(}ing  dressed  and  dyed  in  the  city  of  London. 

■  Lease  to  North  American  Coiuiuurcial  Conipauy,  Vol.  I,  p.  106. 
*Ante,  p.  161. 


Lous   to  United 


..-^sr 


270 


THE    SKAT-SKIN   T\r)l\STRY. 


I.imH   Id 

Stilll-H. 


m 


ruiiciK^.  M.  LniMpson  &  Coinimiiy,  in  a  letter  to  tlio 
JJritish  Foivijrii  Ottico  dated  December  30,  1890, 
state:  "For  many  years  past  no  less  than  75  per 
cent  have  been  bou{»ht  for  American  account  mid 
reshipped  to  the  United  8tates  after  liaviiifr  Immh 
manufactured  in  London."'  This  statement  is 
corrol»orated  by  seven  of  the  principal  fur  nu  r- 
clunits  in  the  United  States,  who  place  the  number 
of  "Alaskas"  imported  at  from  (;5,()0(>to  7r),()()().- 
The  value  of  these  skins  before  })ayin}r  custom 
duty  to  the  United  States  is  shown  to  averiijfo 
for  a  series  of  years  about  '$2Ft  per  skin.'  On 
these  injpoi-tations  the  Government  of  tlie  United 
States  rec^eived  a  duty  of  20  per  cent  advalorcm, 
or  an  annual  revemu;  from  dtities  on  dressed  nnd 
dyed  Alaskan  skins  amountinj^"  to  the  sum  of 
$37r),O()0,  which  makes  the  total  annuity  of  the 
United  St.ites  Government,  derived  from  the 
Alaskan  seal  her<l,  sit  least  !iSl,37r),0()(),  providiMl 
the  usual  quota  of  skins  are  taken  by  the  lessees 
of  the  Pribih>f  Islands.  In  the  United  States 
these  imported  dressed  and  dyed  skins  nre  lo- 
modeled  and  manufactured  into  seal-skin  articles, 
for  which  the  people  so  emjdoyed  receive  on  an 
averaj'-e  87  a  skin,  or  for  the  70,000  skins  so 


I  Hritisli  Blui'  Book,  IT.  8.  No.  I  (ISitl),  ('-«2.53,  p.  11. 
*Stuteiuuiit  of  Ainurican  iiuluotry  by  furrierti,  Vol.  II,  p.  52G. 


LOSS    IK    UV.UD    UKSTROYEO. 


271 


imported  aiinuallv  the  sum  of  S49(),0()(>.'  When  i-osh  to  Uuitod 
to  this  is  !i(hle»l  the  profits  to  the  wholesaU^  and 
retail  furriers  and  merchants  enj^aj^ed  in  the  seal- 
skin industries  in  the  United  States,  which,  aceord- 
in<^  to  the  American  furriers  quoted  above,  are 
ahout  S30  a  skin,  or  on  the  70,000  skins  annually 
imported  !s2,100,000,'  the  total  amount  received 
each  year  in  the  United  States  "om  the  man- 
ufactiu'e  and  sale  of  Alaska  skins  aji-jTrej^ates 
>^'J,r){M),000.  The  averaj^e  jmco  per  skin  for 
"Alaskas"  in  the  London  market  for  the  last  ten 
years,  when  the  lease  to  the  Alaska  Connnercial 
Company  was  in  force  (1880-1889)  and  when 
100,000  seals  were  taken  annually,  was  ()8,s\  Htl.'^ 
or  (allowinfi'  24.3  cents  to  the  shilling,')  about 
!>1().50.  The  present  lessees,  under  a  normal 
condition  of  afl'airs,  mij^ht  expect  a  simihir  price. 
In  procuring  the  skins  they  pay  the  Unite<l 
States  $\)f}2.^  on  each  secured,  and  the  800,000 
rent  adds  60  cents  more  on  each  skin;  allowing 
!>3  per  skin  for  wages  of  emj)loyes,  transporta- 
tion, etc.,  the  cost  of  a  rfiw  Alaska  skin  deliv- 
ered in  London  would  be  about  $13.25,  which 
selling  at  the  average  price  of  $16.50  would  make 
a  profit  to  the  lessees  of  the  islands  of  $3.25  per 

'  8tiit«'iiiPiit  of  Ainericnii  industry  by  furriers,  Vol.  II,  p.  .526. 
^Tables  of  prices  xirupured  by  Mr.  A.  Frasor,  Vol.  H,  p.  561. 


272 


THE    SEALSKIN    INDITSTKY. 


[... 

'^'.«^ 

^^,% 

^yV 

M 

m 

Si 


LOHH 
StllUiH. 


:ri 


11 


I.IINH 

llriliiiii 


to  Unitrd skin,  and  on  100,000  wkiiis  the  profits  would  lie 
5j»32r),000.  The  natives  who  drive  and  kill  tin 
seals  on  the  Pribilof  Islands  also  receive  40  cents 
for  each  skin,  or  for  100,000  the  sum  of  §40,000. 
Therefore  the  destruction  of  the  Alaska  seal  herd 
would  mean  an  annual  loss  to  the  Governnuiit 
and  people  of  the  United  States  of  84,330,( )(»(). 

to  umit  The  sealskin  in<lustry  in  Great  Britain,  wliicli, 
as  has  been  shown,  is  entirely  dependent  upon 
the  Alaska  seal  herd  for  its  existence,  has  alunc 
in  the  city  of  London  invested  capital  to  the 
amount  of  €1,000,000,'  and  employs  betwetiii 
two"  and  three  thousand''  persons,  many  of  whom 
are  skilled  workmen  with  families  dependent  on 
them,*  who  would  lie  compelled  to  learn  sonic 
other  trade  hi  case  the  industry  was  destroNccl. 
The  fur  brokers  in  London  up  to  1889  received 
G  per  cent  of  the  price  for  which  they  sold  the 
sealskins,*  which  on  100,000  Alaska  skins,  at  >Sl(i 
per  skin,  would  amount  to  $196,000.  The  next 
expense  put  upon  the  skins  is  dressing  and  d}e- 
ing  them,  which  is  about  16s.  a  skin,*  makinjj  in 

■  Kuiil  Teicliiuitnn,  Vol.  II,  p.  582;  (JeorKo  C.  LampBon,  Vol.  II, 
p.  56.5. 

-"  Kiiiil  Teichiiiann,  Vol.  II,  p.  .582;  Walter  E.  Miutin,Vol.  lI,p.;.tlS; 
Q.  C.  Laiiipson,  Vol.  II,  p.  565;  George  Kice,  Vol.  II,  p.  574;ArtliMi 
Hirscliel,  Vol.  II,  p.  563. 

»  Henry  Poland,  Vol.  II,  p.  571 ;  H.  8.  BevinKton,  Vol.  II,  p.  .")!•. 

*  Henry  Poland,  Vol.  II,  p.. 571 ;  Walter  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  :>i\X; 
G.  C.  LainpHon,  Vol.  II,  p.  5(i5;  George  Kice,  Vol.  II,  p.  673. 

"  H.8.  IJevington,  Vol.  II,  p.  553. 


LOSS    IK    IIIIK'K    hKSTKOYI'.n. 


273 


iill  for  the   1()0,(H)()  tin*  sum  of  s.'i(;H,(K)0.     Tliis    i,..mh    u,   (inut 

Itiiluiii. 

niiik(>s  ill!  iiniiual  loss  t(»  (irciit  Hritaiii,  in  cmso 
the  Alaskmi  herd  is  roimiU'n'ially  exltrmiiiatt'd 
of  8404,000;  hut  this  is  only  a  jiitrfial  statniicnt 
of  the  actual  (lania;»'e  sustaincil,  for  the  deprivu- 
tioii  of  eigiit-teiiths  of  the  seal-skin  supply  must 
iieeessarily  reduce  the  industry  in  (Jreat  Britain 
to  a  condition  which  will  lead  ca)»ital  to  abandon 
it;  and  u  permanent  plant  valued  at  tHO,()00 
would  become  entirely  useless  if  the  scfd-skin 
industry  were  to  come  to  an  end.' 

The  French  Republic  will  als<»  sufli'er  a  serious  ^'"»s  *»  rranco. 
loss  from  the  destruction  of  this  valual  ■  herd  of 
fur  ]»<>iiring  animals,  on  which  th(»  s(  alskin  indus- 
trysohirj^ely  de})ends.  The  Paris  firm  of  lii'vi  lion 
Freres  has  alone  in  the  last  twenty  years  bou^^ht 
upwards  of  400,000  sealskins,  the  majority  of 
which  have  been  made  up  into  j'arments  by  said 
firm,  the  sales  6f  which  have  amounted  to  about 
4,000,000  francs  annually  for  \\iv,  period  of 
twenty  years.  This  firm  employs  about  three 
hundred  persons,  who  are  skilled  laborers,  and 
who  would  be  thrown  out  of  employment  by 
the  withdrawal  of  the  supply  of  skins  furnished 
by  the  Alaskan  herd;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  from 
five  to  six  hundred  persons  are  dejx'udint  iipon 
the  sealskin  industry  in  I'raui-e.-'     If  the  20,000 


2716- 


'  Artliiir  niiscli.'l.  Vol.  II,  )).  :.(!:!. 
•Lfoii  KVvillou,  Vol.  II,  i>.r)!H). 

-35 


Z'-^'^m 


274 


THE    SEALSKIN    INDUSTUY. 


lidSS    to 


'iinco.  skins  annually  purchased  by  this  firm  ct)st  825 
per  skin  in  London,*  tlie  total  cost  would  Ix? 
about  2,500,000  francs;  and  the  annual  loss  to 
France  through  this  firm's  business  being-  aftectcd 
by  the  destruction  of  the  Alaskan  seal  herd 
would  be  about  1,500,000  francs;  as  there  are 
other  fur  companies  in  France  also  dealing  in 
sealskins  the  loss  would  undoubtedly  be  nuich 
more  than  the  figures  given. 
L«.38  to  the  world.  Simply  relying,  however,  upon  the  actual  loss 
sustained,  as  herehibefore  demonstrated,  and 
adding  the  $3.00  per  skin  allowed  as  expenses 
paid  the  employes  of  the  lessees  of  the  Pribolof 
Islands,  transportation,  etc.,  amounting  on  1 00,()(JU 
skins  to  $300,000,  the  total  annual  loss  to  tlu' 
world  from  the  destruction  of  this  great  seal  herd 
would  amount  to  over  $5,000,000.  Besides  this 
a  large  number  of  persons  employed  by  furriers 
and  fur  houses  would  be  thrown  out  of  employ- 
ment, and  the  three  hundred  natives  of  tlie 
Pribilof  Islands  would  be  deprived  of  their  solo 
means  of  sustenance,  and  become  a  charge  u[)()n 
the  United  States  Govermnent. 
Xcrri  of  iPRiiiar     It  ig  tii(3  further  testimony  of  all  those  engaged 

suypl.v  of  skills.  •'  r^    !~ 

in  the  sealskin  business  that  in  order  to  main- 
tain the  industry  it  is  necessary  that  the  supjtly 

'Sttttemeiit  of  American  furriers,  Vol.  II,  p.  526. 


INVESTMENTS. 


275 


(»f  skins  sliould  be  constant  and  regular/  other-    x«'''<>  "f  roKimr 

supply  of  skint). 

wise  tliere  is  j^reat  danger  of  loss  to  the  buyers 
or  sellers  through  fluctuation  in  prices,  and  the 
business  of  buying  and  selling  becomes  specula- 
tive. That  this  has  been  the  result  upon  the 
market,  through  pelagic  sealing  in  the  last  few 
years,  is  clearly  shown  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Bevington,' 
and  his  statement  is  supported  by  the  American 
furriers  and  others  engaged  in  the  fur  trade.''  It 
is  therefore  evident  that  even  in  case  open-sea 
scaling  covdd  be  earned  on  without  insuring  the 
destruction  of  the  herd,  the  results  would  demor- 
alize and  j)ractically  ruin  the  sealskin  industry, 
now  so  finnly  established. 


INVESTMENTS. 

FTaving  reviewed  the  general  loss  to  the  world  Caniidian  \m 

"  °  nu'iir,  in  181)0. 

by  the  <lestruction  of  the  Alaskan  seal  herd,  it 
should  now  be  compared  with  the  Canadian 
industry  in  the  pelagic  sealing  fleet,  which  would 
lU'cessfu-ily  be  abandoned  in  case  open-sea  hunt- 
ing is  prohibited.  According  to  the  Canadian 
Fishery  Reports  for  1890,  the  total  valuation  of 
the    twenty-nine    vessels   engaged   in    sealing, 


,-pst- 


'  Wiilter  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  \t.  1568;  Einil  Teiihniauii,  Vol.  II,  p. 
5X2;  (i.  C.  LanipHon,  Vol.  II,  p.  506. 

•Vol.  II,  (>.  ij53. 

StatoMK'ut  nia<l<'  l»y  American  furriers.  (Socaffldavitsof  S.  ITll- 
iiiami,  Vol.11,  p.  rrJ7;  Alfred  Harris,  Vol.  II,  ji.  ■52!);  Ili'ury  Tread- 
wtil,  Vol.  ii.  \t.  52!);  and  Hugo  .lai'ckfl,  Vol.  II,  p.  SIU,  attached.) 


276 


THE   SEALSKIN    INnilSTRY. 


Canaiiian  invest- inclusive  of  caiioGs  aiul  bojits,  was  8265,985.' 

meat,  iu  1890. 

By  this  valuation  the  value  per  ton,  exclusive  of 
outfit,  is  S121.54,  which  is  undoubtedly  exces- 
sive. Mr.  T.  T.  Williams,  who  made  a  careful 
examination  into  the  Canadian  sealing  industrv 
in  1889,  on  behalf  of  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  preparatory  to  the  said  Company's 
bidding  for  a  new  lease  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  in 
1890,  states  that  it  costs  to  build  these  sealing;' 
vessels  and  outfit  them  in  Victoria  $80  per  ton, 
and  in  the  United  States  SlOO.-  An  examina- 
tion of  the  Canadian  Fisheries  Reports  for  the 
years  1887  and  1890  shows  that  twelve  of  tlu' 
twenty -nine  vessels  engaged  in  sealing  from 
Victoria  in  1890  were  so  engaged  in  1887,  and 
that  some  of  them  were  very  old  and  of  very 
little  value.  Thus,  the  Mary  Taylor  and  Mara 
Ellen  have  both  been  built  thirty-five  years; 
the  Lilly  has  seen  forty-six  years'  service ;  the 
Black  Diamond  (called  the  Catherine  in  1890), 
Juniata,  Wanderer,  Letitia,  and  Mountain  Chief 
ai'e  all  unseaworthy  and  have  been  taken  out  of 
the  coast  trade  as  being  unsafe.^  A.  d.  Milno, 
esq.,  collector  of  the  port  of  Victoria,  reported 
to  the  Dominion  Government  that  the  total 
value  of  the  fleet  of  twenty-four  vessels,  witii  an 

'("rtiiartiiiii  Fislicrios  Kt'port  (l«9()),  p.  183. 

M'ol.lI.ii.SCK). 

3T.  T.  WiUiaiiw,  Vol.  II,  p.  500. 


INVESTMENTS. 


277 


asfjn'effate  tonnaffe  of  1,464  tons,  in  1889  was  CiuiaiiianiiivcHt- 

S200,500,^  or  $83.50  per  ton,  which  is  $38.04 

per  ton  less  than  the  vuluation  given  in  1890. 

It  is  difficnlt  to  see  how  the  wear  and  tear  on  a 

vessel  can  appreciate  its  value,  but  such   seems 

to  be  the  case  with  the  Victoria  sealing  fleet, 

according  to  the  reports  of  Canadian  <)flicials. 

But  admitting  the  Canadian  valuation  to  be    ContiJist  b-- 

"  .  tweeii  RritiHli  and 

correct,  the  British  capital  (£1,000,00(0  invested*'"  •  .  •     'J   '• 

'  1  V        J  '  /  uicut»  111  181)0. 

in  the  sealskin  industry,  which  latter  nuist  be 
abandoned  if  pelagic  sealing  continues,  exceeds 
the  investment  of  Canada  by  over  $4,600,000; 
in  otlier  words,  the  Canadian  capital  invested  is 
less  than  6  per  cent  of  the  British  investment. 

The  value  of  the  Victoria  fleet  of  foity-nine,,S.|i.^,;|'i;;'i8^1V 
vessels  and  outfit  in  1891  is  given  by  the  Cana- 
dian Fisheries  Report  for  that  year  as  $425,150, 
which  is  also  excessive.'"^    According  to  the  Cana- 
dian valuation  of  1890  the  average  value  per  ton 
for  the  fleet,  including  outflt,  is  $130.20;  in  1891 
the  same  authority  gives  the  valuation  per  ton 
for  vessels  and  outfit  as  $132.73,  or  $2.53  per 
ton  over  and   above   the  inflated   valuation  of 
1890.  Levi  W.  Myers,  esq..  United  States  con- 
sul at  Victoria,  had  a  careful  estimate  made  of 
the  value  of  the  vessels  engaged  in  the  sealing 
business  in  A'ictoria,  by  two  experts,  both  resi- 


'  T.  T.  Williams.  Vol.  II,  j..  490-.500. 
'-Canadian  Fisheries  Kt-ixirt  (1891)  p.  IJCXXV. 


..■^-v^. 


I 


!l 


i:i^ 


278 


TH:i    SEALSKIN    INDUSTRY. 


^■3^y 


cautuiian  in- deuts  of  Victoria,  and  one  especially,  Mr.  W.  J. 

vestment,  in  1891.  ^  ^  y 

(Stevens,  bein<^  recognized  as  authority  on  sucli 
matters,  often  having  been  employed  by  the 
Doi  Million  Government  in  examining  and  report- 
ing on  vessels.*  According  to  such  estimate  the 
value  of  the  vessels  in  1891  was  8203,200.  Con- 
sul Mvers  also  obtained  from  the  custom-house 
records  at  Victoria  the  approximate  age  of  the 
vessels,  which  shows  that  seven  of  them  are 
"very  old,"  two  are  "old,"  and  thirty-three  have 
seen  over  six  j-ears  of  service."  In  consideration 
of  this  last  fact  stated,  it  is  evident  that  the  Ca- 
nadian valuation  is  far  above  the  true  figure. 

However,  assuming  the  value  of  the  fleet  of 
1891  as  given  in  the  Canadian  reports  to  be  ac- 
curate, namely,  S 425, 150,  the  Canadian  capital 
is  evei.  then  less  than  12  per  cent  of  the  Britisli 
investment  in  the  sealskin  industry;  and  Grci.t 
Britain,  through  the  necessary  abandonment  of 
her  permanent  plant  used  in  the  industry,  would 
lose  more  in  this  item  alone  than  the  entire  Ca- 
nadian investment. 
Enipioy<5  8  in      According  to  the  Same  sourccs  of  information, 

Cnnuda  and  Lon- 
don. Canada  emjdoyed  in  1890,  678  white  men  and 

Indians  in  seal  hunting,"  and  in  1891,  439  Indians 

I  Vol.  I,  p.  507. 

«  Consul  Meyer's  Report  (No.  156),  Vol,  I,  p.  511. 

'Canadian  FisUerioB  Report  (1890),  p.  183. 


Contrast  be- 
tween Hritlsh  and 
Canadian  iiivust- 
uieuts  in  1891. 


1^ 


INVESTMENTS. 


279 


and  643  whites.      In  London,  as  luis  boon  shown,    Kuipioyds  in 

Canada  uud  Lon- 

trom  two  to  three  thousand  persons  are  einph)yed  «iou. 
in  the  sealskin  industry;  it  is  safe,  tlierefore,  to 
say  that  nearly  three  times  as  many  people  are 
dependent  upon  the  sealskin  industry  in  Lon- 
don alone  as  are  employed  in  the  pelajipc  seal- 
hunting  business  in  Canada.  The  average  wages 
per  week  paid  to  those  euiployed  in  the  Britisli 
industry  are  about  305.,"  or  €190,000  (§;947,700) 
per  annum  to  the  2,500  employes.  According 
to  the  Canadian  Report  for  1890,  above  cited, 
the  gross  receipts  derived  from  the  sealskins 
taken  by  the  Victoria  fleet  were  $492,261,  the 
catch  being  sold  at  inflated  prices  because  of  the 
small  number  of  skins  obtained  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands,  the  average  price  per  skin  in  1889,  for 
the  Northwest  catch,  in  London,  being  only 
39s.  5f?.' ($9.58).  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that 
the  annual  gross  recei])ts  of  Canada  from  ])elagic 
sealing  are  only  about  half  of  the  sum  annually 
paid  out  for  wages  by  London  houses  engaged 
in  the  sealskin  industry. 

In  comparing  the  Canadian  venture  with  tlie    \".V'^  toCmnda 

1  "  and  United  .States. 

United  States  industry  the  contrast  is  even  more 

striking.     It  h.k^s  already  been  shown  that  the  -^ 

furriers,   manufacturers,    and  merchants  of  the 


'/Wrf.   (1891),  i>.  Lxxxv. 

^Euiil  T«drlimiinn,  Vol.  II,  p.  582;  W.  E.  Martin,  Vol.  II,  p.  508. 

» Alfred  Fraser,  Vol.  II,  p.  562. 


»ll 


:^i?^ 


280 


THE   SEALSKIN   INDUSTRY. 


■?  --  ->. 


■■f^:f  %%/^i 


Ml 


■■  i-  '■.'IP''-. 


v . 


iN       — ■} .  '     *>     ■ 


Vaini- to  Ciiiintia  United  States  realize  anniiallv  on  Alaskan  skins 
consumed    ni   the    Umted    otates    the   sum    of 

$2,100,000;  the  ag-greg-ate  amount  annually  paid 
as  wages  to  those  emjdoyed  in  the  Americjui 
manufactories  to  be  $490,000;  tiie  receipts  of  tlic 
Pribilof  Islands  natives  to  be  840,000  annualh-; 
and  the  })rofits  of  the  lessees  of  said  islanrls, 
when  100,000  skins  are  taken,  to  be  832r).(>(i(i. 
The  o-ross  amount  thus  received  by  citizens  of 
the  United  States  each  year  from  the  Alsiskaii 
catch  is  about  83,000,000.  The  value  of  tit- 
Victoria  pelagic  catch  for  1891  has  not  been 
published  in  the  Can"dian  Fisheries  Reports, 
but  assuminj^  the  value  of  the  Victoria  pelagic 
catch  to  be  8492,261,  as  j^iven  by  the  Canadian 
report  for  1890,  which  has  been  shown  to  bo 
abnormal,  the  gross  Canadian  receipts  per  annum 
from  the  sealinj]^  fleet  are  less  than  KJi  per  cent 
of  the  total  profits  to  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States  from  the  Alaskan  catch.  If  the  annual 
receipts  to  the  United  States  Government  bo 
also  included,  the  f^ross  sum  received  by  C/anada 
from  her  sealskin  catch  is  11^  per  cent  of  the 
annual  profits  to  the  Government  and  peo})le  of 
the  United  States  on  "Alaska"  sealskins. 
i:ini>io.v<<s  in      rpi      number    of    persons    emijloved    in   tlie 

C  ii  II  it  il  11     ana  i  i      . 

United tutea.       manufacture  of  sealskins  in  the  United  States  is 


INVESTMKNTS. 


281 


3,3GO,'  which  is  over  three  tiuics   as  m;mv  ms    Kmiiioyt's   in 

Can  a  il  ii     ii  n  «l 

were  enijajjed  in  the  Vi(;t«>ria  sealiiii'-  iiuhistrv  in •'•''*•'' «*«*«'*'• 
1891,  accordinfif  to  the  Canadian  olHcials,  and 
Hve  times  as  nianv  as  were  so  (!n<>a;»'ed  in  181)0. 

The  receipts  of  France  from  her  sealskin  in-    ('"iitinHt  )>o- 

•^  twi'fii  r  ri'iirli  iiml 

diistry  has  been  shown  to  be  over  s3(MM)(Mi<'aiii..iiiiii  invest- 
(1,500,000  francs),  whicli  is  at  U^ast  (Jd  per  cent 
of  the  gross  recei[)ts  of  Canada  from  pelagic 
sealing-  in  a  year  when  the  i)rices  of  Northwest 
skins  were  abnormal.  Under  natnral  «'onditions, 
as  in  1888  or  181)0,  the  Frencii  receii)ts  from  the 
industry  would  more  than  e(pial  the  gross  re- 
ceipts of  Canada  from  the  sealing  fleet's  catch. 
The  number  of  men  also  employed  in  France  is 
about  the  same  in  number  as  tliose  employed  in 
pelagic  sealing  in  Canada  in  1890. 

Tlie  number  of  persons  engaged  in  the  hand-(^,.|'j^|j'J,|^'"-^'|'^^"  V] 
ling  and  manufacture  of  sealskins  in  the  United '•'''"'  '"""i"'-- 
States,  England,  and  France  is,  therefore,  about 
6,400,  or  over  nine  times  as  many  as  are  reported 
to  have  been  engaged  in  pelagic  sealing  in  1890 
in  Canada,  and  about  six  and  a  half  times  as 
many  as  were  so  engaged  in  1891. 

It  is  very  questionable,  however,  whetlier  there   CMnadian imost- 
is  any  real  investment  In  Canada  in  jjehigic  seal-  '''"• 
ing.     The  vessels  are  all  coi anion   vessels,   the 
guns    common    guns,   and    the    boats    coi union 

'  Statcinciit  of  furriers,  \'iil.  II,  j».  ."181!. 
271f 3<i 


282 


TlIK    SEALSKIN    INDUSTUY. 


('iiiiiMiiiminyost-1)(»ats,  wliicli  CRii  all  be  usofl  ill  .some  other  iii- 

iiK-iit    i|ii(.'stiiiiia- 

'•'o-  diistry,'  exce])!!!!^,  perhaps,  the  old  and  iinsoii- 

worthy  vessels. 
VvUiiU-  HfiiiiiiK  Hut  admitting  the  validity  of  the  investnionl, 
it  can  be  questioned  whether  those  embarking; 
therein  as  a  rule  pay  the  expenses  incurred  out 
of  the  sum  realized  on  the  catch.  An  examina- 
tion of  the  table  of  sealing  vessels  snid  their 
respective  catches,  as  given  by  the  Canadimi 
Fishery  Reports,  shows  that  the  number  of  seals 
taken  by  a  vessel  varies  to  a  great  extent.  Thus 
in  1880  several  vessels  took  less  than  three 
hundred  seals  each;  one  schooner,  with  a  crew 
of  twenty-nine  men,  took  but  one  hundred  and 
sixty-four  seals,  while  another,  with  a  cre^^  of 
twenty-two  men,  took  over  three  thousand.'  In 
1890  the  same  variation  maybe  seen.''  In  IBS!) 
the  average  selling  price  of  skins  in  Victoria 
.  was  S7.65.*  On  the  catch  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-four  seals,  therefore,  the  total  received 
would  be  $l,254.b0,  of  which  at  least  8400 
would  have  to  be  paid  to  the  hunters,  leavinjr- 
$854.60  to  pay  the  entire  expense  of  the  voyafi^o 
of  at  least  four  months.  If  the  men  were  paid 
S30  a  month  on  an  average,  the  cost  of  the 


'  T.  T.  Williams,  Vol.  II.  p.  500. 

«  Caniuliiin  Fislicries  Ueport,  1889,  p.  253. 

'  Ihid.,  1«!10,  p.  183. 

«T.T.  WillianiR.  Vol.11,  p.4!t9. 


INVESTMENTS. 


283 


criuHe,  outside  the  expense  of  outfitting,  would    ivioKic  soaiing 

*  "a  8p(!culutii>ii. 

he  at  least  $3,000.  The  loss,  therefore,  to  the 
owner  or  charterer  of  the  vessel  would  be  cer- 
tainly $2,000  on  his  investment.  If  one  thousand 
seals  were  taken,  it  is  also  evident  that  there 
\N  ould  be  a  very  close  margin  on  the  recovery 
of  the  money  expended,  and  the  investor  would 
])robably  lose  or  certaiidy  not  receive  one  per 
cent  on  the  capital  invested.^  It  is,  therefore, 
the  possibility  of  a  la)'ge  catch  which  leads 
jiersons  to  venture  their  money  in  pelagic  seal- 
ing-, and  the  business  is  a  speculation  of  the 
most   uncertain   character.     Those   engaged  in    SpccniatiiiK  on 

^    "^  Hiiiall    supply     ot 

the  industry  also  find  the  possibility  of  a  small  »''''"'• 
supply  of  skins  from  all  sources  to  be  a  fertile 
field  for  speculation,  the  price  per  skin  being 
advanced  as  the  number  of  skins  on  the  market 
diminishes.  It  may  be  said,  therefore,  that  the 
interests  of  the  pelagic  sealing  speculators  is  to 
deplete  the  herd  and  thereby  increase  prices, 
unmindful  of  the  ultimate  result,  which  is  sure 
to  be  the  extermination  of  the  Alaskan  fur-seal, 
'^riiis  phase  of  the  speculation  is  referred  to  in  a 
letter  from  the  British  Colonial  Office  to  Sir 
Charles  Tupper,  dated  June  13,  1891,  which 
reads  as  follows:  "That  as  the  total  cessation  of 
sealing  in  Bering  Sea  will  greatly  enhance  the 


'  T,  T.  Williams,  Vol.  II,  p.  501. 


m 


THE    SKAI.HKIN    INrH'HTRY. 


^r   ;': 


Bill 
8k 


Spn  niiitiiiK  onvaliie  of  tho  proilucG  ot'  tlio  (M)ast  fishery,  TTor 

mill    Hiiiipl  y    of 

>"»•  ArMJesty's   Government   do   not    ttnticipato  tluit 

British  scalers  will  snff'er  to  any  {rreat  extent  l)y 
exclusion  from  Hering*  Sea."'  This  statcnicnt 
also  met  with  the  views  of  Lord  Salisbur\  .- 
The  cessation  of  sealing-  and  the  decrease  of  the 
seal  herd  would  bring*  about  the  same  result,  an 
increase  in  the  price  of  sealskins.  It  is  more 
profitable,  therefore,  for  those  interested  in  the 
sealing  venture  to  have  prices  raised  even  if  tlic 
seal  herd  is  depleted,  for  they  will  therchN- 
derive  lar<^er  rc^turns  from  the  investment.  Vcr\' 
few  of  the  owners  or  part  owners  of  the  Victoriii 
sea^inj^  fleet  are  dependent  upon  pelagic  sealiii",'- 
for  a  livelihood,  so  that  it  is  not  ])articularly  to 
their  interest  to  jn-eserve  the  herd,  their  princii)al 
o])je(!t  being  to  get  large  profits,  whatever  may 
bo  the  result. 

OccnpaHons  of  Cousul  Mvers,  in  a  report  to  the  State  Depart- 
meiit,  gives  the  occupation  of  seventy-one  own- 
ers or  part  owners  of  sealing  vessels  liailing  from 
the  port  of  Victoria.  Of  these  only  fourteen  may 
be  said  to  be  dependent  on  sealing,  and  twelve 
others  who  are  emj)loyed  in  maritime  enterprises. 
The  remainder  are  composed  of  individuals  en- 
gaged in  various  pursuits.     Among  the  list  may 


1  Britisli  Hlnc  Hook,  II.  S  .No.  3  (1892),  C-G635,  p.  29. 
syjiirf..  No.  30,  p.  16. 


INVKHTMKNTH. 


285 


be  found  several  i)ublic  officials,  Heven  grooera,    o.cui.iitioiiH  of 

V<'M»fl  (IWIIHrH. 

a  druggist,  an  auctioneer,  a  fanner,  three  saloon 
keepers,  a  plasterer,  an  insurance  agent,  two  iron 
founders,  three  real  estate  agents,  a  carriage 
manufacturei",  a  tanner,  two  women,  a  machinist, 
and  others  of  different  i)ursuits.*  It  is  evident 
tiiat  the  people  who  undertake  this  venture  are 
as  varied  in  their  occupations  as  the  purchasers 
of  lottery  tickets,  and  the  same  spirit  which  in- 
duces persons  to  risk  their  money  in  tlie  latter 
has  persuaded  them  to  take  their  chances  in  the 
sealing  business. 

Under  the  present  state  of  affairs  the  increase    Rtsuits  of  |»ro- 

tfctiiiK  .seiil  lieril. 

of  the  sealing  fleet,  the  decrease  of  the  seal  herd, 
and  its  certain  extinction  in  a  few  years  if  pelagic 
sealing  is  continued,  the  insignificant  invest- 
ment of  Canada  for  a  few  years  compared  with 
the  sealskin  imlustry  of  the  world  for  an  indef- 
inite future  seems  infinitesimal  and  unworthy  of 
notice  in  considering,  from  an  economic  point  of 
view,  the  advisability  of  protecting  and  preserv- 
ing the  world's  chief  supply  of  fur-seal  skins. 
Prohibition  of  pelagic  sealing  means  the  employ- 
ment of  thousands  of  i)eople  in  England  and  the 
United  States  for  generations,  and  the  invest- 
ment of  millions  of  capital. 

Nonprohibition  means  the  employment  of  a    Results  if  not 
few  lumdred  persons  t«)r  four  or  nve  years,  the 

'Repoitof  U.  S.  CoiisiilL.  W.  Mym-SjAprilSS),  l«'J2,Vol.  I,p.5U. 


286 


CLAIM   OF   THE    UNI'lEO   8TATEH 


rent' 
yiciiiUi, 


H.Miiits  if  not  Jnvfstiuent  of  one  or  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 

pnitcrtud.  .  1  1      •         1        • 

uuH  in  a  Hpecuhitive  and  loHUig  buHUieuH,  and  the 
final  destruction  of  the  Ahinkan  seal  herd,  a  never- 
endinjr  Hource  of  wealth  to  the  world,  if  properly 
protected  and  preserved. 


CLAIM  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  FOR  DAMAGES. 

Article  V  ..f  Article  V  of  the  Convention  of  April  18,  18D2, 
for  the  ren(?wal  of  the  Modus  Vivendi  in  Bering 
Sea,  provides  that  "if  the  result  of  the  Arbitration 
shall  he  to  denv  the  riffht  of  British  sealers  to 
take  seals  within  the  said  waters,  then  compen- 
ition  shall  be  made  by  Great  Britain  to  the 
United  States  (for  itself,  its  citizens,  and  lessees) 
for  this  a<»reeinent  to  limit  the  isl  id  catch  to 
seven  tlunisand  five  hundred  a  sea  n,  upon  the 
basis  f»f  the  difference  between  this  number  and 
such  larnj-er  catch  as  in  the  opinion  of  the  Arbi- 
trators niipfht  have  been  taken  without  an  undue 
diminution  of  the  seal  herds." 

Classification  of     Aiiv  (lamaj^es  to  which  the  United  States  may 

duuiagi-s.  " 

become  entitled  under  this  Convention  must  be 
by  way  of  compensation,  first,  to  the  Govern- 
ment for  the  loss  of  revenue  sustained  through 
the  diminution  of  the  number  of  seals  caught ; 
and,  second,  to  the  North  American  Conunercial 
Company  f<ir  the  loss  of  profits  incurred  tlu'ough 
the  same  cause. 


FOR  DAMAor.a.  287 

I.  The  Claim  of  the  Govenimeiit. —  \\\  tlii'  Icnso    fJovprnmeijt 

i-liiiiii, 

matlo  in  18JK),  the  North  Anu'rican  ('omincrclal 
('ompany  agreed  to  pay  to  the  CioviMimiont  tor 
the  exclusive  right  to  catch  seals  in  the  Prihilof 
Islands  an  annual  rent  of  SOi^OOO,  the  legal  tax 
of  $2  for  each  seal  caught,  and  a  bonus  (^n  each 
seal  of  $7.62^.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  catch 
duruig  181)1  was  BO  restricted  by  Treasury  Reg- 
ulations, connected  with  the  Modus  Vive)t(ii  of 
last  year,  as  to  amount  to  only  13,482  seals  in- 
stead of  the  100,000  seals  prescribed  by  statute 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  agreed  on  June 
27,  1892,'  to  accept  from  the  lessees  for  the  year 
ending  April  1,  181)2,  in  lieu  of  the  .above  rents 
and  taxes,  the  following  sums,  viz : 

Tax  on  13,482  8«<alM,  nt  $2 $:/fi,flftt.00 

(13  482                   \ 
100000  X*60,000j 8,089.20 

BwiUB  on  12,251  good  skins  (i(5J]'(i|)o  X  ^7.62*  j  x  12,251    11, 441. 13 

Total 46,497.33 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  above  computa- 
tion, the  first  item,  viz,  the  tax,  nimains  the  same 
as  before.  The  second  item,  viz,  the  rental, 
which  in  the  lease  is  ^fiO,000,  is  reduced  in  the 
proportion  which  the  actual  catch  of  13,482  bears 
to  the  maximum  catch  of  100, 000,     The  third, 

'  Letter,  Vol.  I,  p.  521. 


I 


■■■^W«;:-' 


288  CLAIM   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES 

Govcriimontviz,  the  boiiiis pel*  sealskin,  has  been  reduced  on 

cluiin, 

the  same  principle. 
Govprnmeiit  and     No  definite  aiTaiigemeiit  has  as  yet  been  mado 

lessees. 

between  the  1  reasurv  and  the  lessees  as  to  tlu' 
amount  to  be  paid  by  the  latter  for  tlieir  fran- 
chises for  the  current  year,  but  if,  as  is  almost 
certain,  the  above-mentioned  aiTangement  will 
be  continued,  then  the  loss  sustained  by  the 
Govennnent,  for  which  it  is  entitled  to  indenniity 
from  the  Arbitrators,  can  be  estimated  by  substi- 
tuting- for  the  number  13,482  in  the  above  com- 
putation, such  a  number  as  the  Arbitrators  shall 
find  might  safely  have  been  taken  in  excess  of  the 
7,500  provided  for  in  the  Convention. 
Ris  8  „f  con.pn-      YoY  example,  if  it  is  determined  that  40,000 

tat  Id  I  ot  <liini!i|L;fS  *■      '  ' 

to  uoveiiiment.  ^,^.^1^  miglit  have  been  taken  over  and  above  the 
7,r)00,  then  the  Government  will  be  entitled  to  an 
indemnity  of  $226,000,  obtained  as  follows: 

Tax  on  40,000  seals,  at  $2 $80,000 

Rental   ( j^k)' ()oo  X  **^'^' •^) -^'^^'^ 

Bonus  (j^^UJJjx  $7. 62^^x40,000 122,000 

Total 226,000 

The  Government  is  entitled  to  damages  in  this 
amount  because  this  sum  represents  the  excess 
which  it  would  receive  from  the  lessees  if  the 
catch,  instead  of  being  limited  to  7,500  were 
limited  to  the  number  of  seals  which  could  be 


FOR   DAMAGES. 


280 


t}ikeii  without  an  luidue  lUiniimtioii  of  tlie  seal    Basis  of  comjm- 

tation  lit'  damages 

lu'id,  provided  the  Arbitrators  found  that  number  t«  Government. 
to  be  47,500.     If  tiiey  actually  determine  upon 
,1  different  number,  then  tlie  result  given  above, 
by  way  of  illustration,    must    be  increased  or 
(liininished  accordingly 

II.  The  Claim  of  tlie  Lessees. — Under  the  Con-  Tht-  lessees' 
volition  of  April  18,  1892,  the  North  American 
Commercial  Company  are  entitled,  as  the  lessees 
ot"  tlie  Government,  to  such  an  indemnity  as  shall 
compensate  them  for  the  loss  of  profits  incurred 
through  the  forced  diminution  in  the  catch  of 
seals.  When  the  xVrbitrators  Iiuve  determined 
the  number  of  seals  which  miglit  safely  have 
been  taken  during  the  present  season  over  and 
above  the  7,500  allowed  by  the  Convention,  it 
will  be  for  them  to  determine  next  the  amount 
of  profit  which  the  lessees  would  probably  have 
derived  from  this  increased  catch  over  and  above 
that  which  will  be  actually  realized  from  the 
catch  of  7,500  prescribed  by  the  Convention. 
The  balance  of  profits  so  obtained  will  constitute 
the  sum  to  which  the  lessees  are  entitled  as  an 
iiulemnity  under  the  section  of  the  Convention 
above  cited. 
In  determining  the  amount  of  iirofit  obtained    i?asis  ofcompn. 

"  '  tatioii   ot    k'sscis' 

tioiiieach  seal,  some  information  may  be  derived  <!'*'"'*««'*• 
2716 37 


mm 


mi 


^3?^ 


b-^iii 


290 


CLAIM   OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


Basis  <.f  coiiipii  from  a  claim  for  damages  which  the  lessees  linve 

tat  ion    v.i  Ichhouh' 

aaiuages.  filed  ill  the  United  States  Treasury  Department, 

for  the  years  1890  and  1891,  a  copy  of  wliicli  is 
found  in  the  Appendix.^  It  may  be  added  tliat 
this  claim  was  adjusted  on  June  27,  1892,-  li\ 
the  remission  by  the  Treasury  Department,  ;is 
stated  above,  of  the  greater  part  of  the  rental  and 
bonus  due  for  the  year  1891  under  the  lease. 
As  the  high  prices  for  sealskins  in  the  London 
market  in  1890  and  1891  still  continue,  the  esti- 
mate of  profits  in  the  above-mentioned  (dann 
would  probably  be  as  correct  at  the  present  time 
as  in  the  years  for  which  they  were  made. ' 

The  Arbitrators  will  derive  aid  in  determininr) 
how  large  a  catch  might  have  safely  been  made 
during  the  present  season  by  reference  to  the 
following  affidavits,  viz,  those  on  pages  73,  5)3, 
and  111,  in  Vol.  II  of  Appendix. 
Opinion  of  Sir     It  is  important  to  observe  also  the  lanjjuane 

(ieorjte    Baden- 

of  Sir  George  Baden-Powell,  one  of  the  Ooni- 
missiouers  sent  by  Great  Britain  hi  1891  to 
examine  into  the  condition  of  the  seal  industry. 
In  his  dispatch  of  March  9,  1892,  to  Lord  Salis- 
bury, he  said-  "With  reference  to  the    nioilnx 

'  North  American  (JoniuH'rcial  Company  to  the  Secretary  of  tlii' 
Treasury,  April  12,  1892,  Vol.  I,  p  520. 

-The  Secretary  of  th«  Treasury  to  North  American  rommeicial 
Company,  June.  27,  1892,  Vol.  1,  p.  521 

^The  price  of  a  sealskin  in  London  in  1890  rose  as  high  sis  \\(tis,. 
and  in  1891  as  Iiigh  as  125s.    See  Alfred  Froser,  Vol.  II,  p.  r)()l. 


I'Jctprmi  nation 
111  possible  catch. 


Powell 


•-TdBi 


FOR  DAMAGES. 


291 


Vivendi,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  taking  of   Opinion  of  sir 

(J  eoijje  Hail  en- 
one  season's  limited  crop  can  not  injure  the  seal  I'oweii. 

herd,  but  although  not  necessary  the  renewal  of 
last  year's  prohibition  and  the  7,500  limitation 
would  be  beneficial."  He  then  suggests  the 
arrangement  afterwards  adopted,  viz,  that  7,500 
"  instead  of  30,000"  be  taken  on  the  islands,  evi- 
dently employing  the  latter  number,  viz,  30,000, 
to  designate  the  quantity  of  seals  which  might 
safely  be  taken  by  the  United  States,  which 
is  the  same  number  as  that  suggested  by  Sir 
Julian  Pauncefote  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Blaine  of 
February  29,  1892.^  In  view  of  these  circum- 
stances,  it  is  submitted  that  30,000  seals  is  the 
minimum  number  which  the  Arbitrators  can 
reasonably  assign  as  a  safe  catch  during  the 
nresent  season. 


>Britltli  Blue  Book,    U.  S.  No.  3  (1892),  C-6635,  p.  155. 


Ik-^ 


■^■t-    . 


Du 


^'^ 


CONCLUSION. 


293 


'^'v^ . 


■•"  ■'it'.l.lilfc,.!  i  ■■ 


CONCLUSION. 


The  United  States,  upon  tlie  evidence  here- 
witli  Hubniitted  and  referred  to,  claim  that  the 
tollowinj^  propositions  of  fact  have  been  fully 
established : 

First.   That  the   Alaskan  fur-seal,   bef^otten,    charactcristicB 

.of    the  Alaskan 

born,  and  reared  on  the  Pruinof  Islands,  witlnnheid. 
the  territory  of  the  United  States,  is  essentially 
a  land  animal,  which  resorts  to  the  water  oidy 
for  food  and  to  avoid  the  rigor  of  winter,  and 
can  not  propagate  its  species  or  live  except  in  a 
fixed  home  upon  land  of  a  peculiar  and  unusual 
formation,  suitable  climate  and  surroundings,  a 
residence  of  several  months  on  shore  being 
necessary  for  propagation ;  that  it  is  domestic  in 
its  habits  and  readily  controlled  by  man  while 
on  the  land ;  that  it  is  an  animal  of  great  value 
to  the  United  States  and  to  mankind,  is  the 
principal  source  from  which  the  world's  supply 
of  fur-seal  skins  is  derived,  and  is  the  basis  of  an 
industry  and  commerce  very  important  to  the 
United  States  and  to  Great  Britain;  that  the 
only  home  of  the  Alaskan  seal  herd  is  on  the 
Pribilof  Islands ;  that  it  resorts  t,o  no  other  land ; 

295 


N^..% 


•--VI 


■i-'-^i: 


296 


CON('LUSION. 


Increase. 


(•iiiiiiiit.risti<Htliat  its  course  when  absent  from  these  islands  is 

of  tliu  Ala  sknn 

iiL'iti.  uniform  an«l  confined  principally  to  waters  adja- 

cent to  the  coast  of  the  United  States ;  that  it 
never  mingles  with  any  other  herd,  and  if  driven 
from  these  islands  would  probably  perish ;  that 
at  all  times,  when  in  the  water,  the  idenfity  of 
each  individual  can  be  established  with  certainty, 
and  that  at  all  times,  whether  during  itt  short 
excursions  from  the  islands  in  search  of  food  or 
its  longer  winter  migration,  it  has  a  fixed  intention, 
or  instinct,  which  induces  it  to  return  thereto. 

Second.  That  under  the  judicious  legislation 
and  management  of  the  United  States,  this  seal 
herd  increased  in  numbers  and  in  value ;  that 
the  present  existence  of  the  herd  is  due  wholly  to 
the  care  and  protection  exercised  by  the  United 
States  and  by  Russia,  the  former  owner  of  these 
islands  ;  but  that  the  killing  of  seals  in  the  water, 
which  is  necessarily  indiscriminate  and  wasteful, 
and  whereby  mostly  female  seals  are  taken  while 
pregnant  or  nursing,  has  so  reduced  the  birth-rate 
that  this  herd  '  low  rapidly  decreasing  in  num- 
bers ;  that  this  decrease  began  with  the  increase 
of  such  pelagic  sealing,  and  that  the  extermina- 
tion of  this  seal  herd  will  certainly  take  place  in 
the  near  future,  as  it  already  has  with  other 
herds,  unless  such  slaughter  be  uiscontinued. 


Decrease. 


CONCLUSION. 


297 


Third.  That  pelagic  sealing  is  an  illegiti-  Pelagic  sMiing. 
mate,  improper,  and  wasteful  method  of  killing, 
is  barbarous  and  inhuman  in  its  innnense  destruc- 
tion of  the  pregnant  and  nursing  female,  and  of 
the  helpless  young  thereb}-  left  to  perish ;  that 
it  is  wholly  destructive  of  the  seal  property  and 
of  the  industries  and  commerce  founded  upon  it; 
and  that  the  only  way  in  which  these  can  be 
preserved  to  the  world  and  to  the  governments 
to  which  they  belong  is  by  prohibiting  })elagic 
sealing  in  the  waters  frequented  by  the  herd. 

Fourth.  That  prior  to  the  treaty  of  182.5    Russian  control 

_        *^  in  Bering  Sea. 

between  Great  Britain  and  Russia,  and  from  a 
date  as  early  as  1790,  down  to  the  cession  to  the 
United  States  in  1867,  Russia  })rohibited  the  kill- 
ing of  seals  in  any  of  the  waters  of  Bering  Sea, 
and  exercised  such  control  therein  as  was  neces- 
sary to  enforce  such  prohibition. 

Fifth.  That  Bering  Sea  was  not  included  inp^^^jjfg, 
the  phrase  "Pacific  Ocean"  as  used  in  the  treaty  of 
1825,  and  that  said  treaty  recognized  the  right- 
fulness of  the  control  exercised  by  Russia  in 
Bering  Sea  for  the  protection  of  the  seals. 

Sixth.  That  all  the  rights  of  Russia  as  to  the 
protection  of  the  Alaskan  seal  herd  passed  un- 
impaired to  the  United  States  by  the  treaty  of 
1867,  and  that  since  the  cession,  the  United 
States  have  regulated  by  law  and  by  govem- 


Sea  not 
ceao. 


nm-m 


United   States 
control. 


2716 


38 


Vv'Q 


298 


CONCLUSION. 


\    'i 


m 


>^/^, 


United  •Stated ii^^i^f^]  guperviHion  the  killinj?  of  seals  upon  tlio 
Pribilof  Islands,  have  prohibited  such  killino-  in 
any  of  the  waters  of  Berinjr  Sea  within  the  limits 
of  the  cession,  and  up  to  the  present  time  have 
insisted  upon  their  riglit  to  enforce  such  prohi- 
bition, but,  moved  by  apprehensions  of  a  dis- 
turbance of  the  peace  between  themselves  and 
Great  Britain  by  the  o})po8ition  of.  the  latter, 
they  ceased  to  some  extent  to  enforce  it. 

Acqiiiesconce  of     Seventh.  That  Great  Britain  acquiesced  in  tlio 

Greut  Uritaiii.  ^ 

exercise  of  this  right  by  Russia  in  Bering  Sea 
and  in  the  continued  exercise  of  the  same  riuLt 
by  the  United  States  up  to  the  year  188(). 
Right  of  control     Eighth.  That  this  right  and  the  necessity  and 

uuqueBtioned. 

duty  of  such  prohibition  have  never  been  ques- 
tioned, until  the  excessive  slaughter  of  these  ani- 
mals, now  complained  of,  was  commenced  by  in- 
dividual adventurers  about  the  year  1885. 

Ninth.  That  the  investment  of  these  ad\en- 
turers  in  pelagic  sealing  is  speculative,  generally 
unprofitable,  and,  when  compared  with  the  si  al- 
skin  industry  of  Great  Britain,  P'rance,  and  the 
United  States,  which  is  dependent  upon  this  seal 
herd,  very  insignificant ;  and  that  the  profits,  if 
any,  resulting  from  pelagic  sealing  are  out  of  all 
proportion  to  the  tlestruction  that  it  produces. 


Investments  con 
trauted. 


':}^i'/''    ■%' 


CONCLUSION. 


299 


Upon  the  forej^oiiio"  proimsitions,  if  thoy  shall    QurstioiiB  for 

,  ,  .  Tiilmnal. 

Itc  found  to  be  established,  the  material  questions 
for  tile  deternii nation  of  this  high  Tribunal  would 
iippear  to  be : 

First.  Whether  individuals,  notsubiects  of  the„  Must  United 

'  ''  Stiitea    Hiiliniit   to 

United  States,  have  a  right,a8  against  that  Gov- J ^^f^Y "''''""  "* 
ernnient  and  to  whieh  it  must  submit,  to  engage 
in  the  devastation  complained  of,  which  it  for- 
1>ids  to  its  own  citizens,  and  which  must  result 
in  the  speedy  destruction  of  the  entire  property, 
industry,  and  interests  involved  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  this  seal  herd. 

Second.  If  any  such  right  can  be  discovered,  teraat^lnafre  *u- 
which  the  United  States  confidently  deny,^*"«"»^«"'**^*' 
whether  the  United  States  and  Great  Britainought 
not  injustice  to  each  other,  in  sound  jiolicy,  for  the 
common  interest  of  mankind,  and  in  the  exer- 
cise of  the  humanity  which  all  civilized  nations 
accord  to  wild  creatures,  harmless  and  valuable, 
to  enter  into  such  reasonable  aiTangement  by 
concurrent  regulations  or  convention,  in  which 
the  participation  of  other  Governments  may  be 
})roperly  invited,  to  prevent  the  extermination  of 
this  seal  herd,  and  to  preserve  it  for  themselves 
and  for  the  benefit  of  the  world. 

Upon  the  first  of  the  questions  thus  stated  thestS!""^^"'*'"^ 
United  States  Govermnent  will  claim: 


S'  a* 


wm 


800 


CONCI-rSION. 


.  \       !^l- 


iiB'ir 


Prnporty  in  and     First.  I'liiit,  111  view  of  tlio  fiicts  uud  circiiin- 
right  to  protect. 

stances  established  by  the  evidence,  it  has  sucli 

a  property  in  the  Ahiskan  seal  herd  as  the  natu- 
ral prodnct  of  its  soil,  made  chiefly  available  by 
'.  its  protection  and  ex})enditure,  hij^hly  valuable 
to  its  people  and  a  considerable  source  of  re\  ( - 
nue,  as  entitles  it  to  preserve  the  herd  from  de- 
sti'uction,  in  the  manner  complained  of,  by  an  em- 
ployment of  such  reasonable  force  as  may  be 
necessary. 
Snch  interest  as     Second.  That,  iiTespective  of  the  distinct  rioht 

jiistineH  protec-  '  ^  " 

*^<"»'  of  pro})erty  in  this  seal  herd,  the  United  States 

Government  has  for  itself,  and  for  for  its  people, 
an  interest,  an  industry,  and  a  commerce  deri\e(l 
from  the  le<>iti mate  and  proper  use  of  the  jn-od- 
uce  of  the  seal  herd  on  its  territory,  which  it  is 
entitled,  upon  all  princi})le8  applicable  to  tlui 
case,  to  j)rotect  against  wanton  destruction  by 
individuals  for  the  sake  of  the  small  and  casual 
profits  in  that  way  to  be  gained;  and  that  no 
part  of  the  high  sea  is,  or  ought  to  be,  open  to 
individuals  for  the  purpose  of  accomplishing  the 
destruction  of  national  interests  of  such  a  char- 
acter and  ii.ij>ortance. 
As trnstee, right     Third.  TJial  the  United  States,  possessing-  as 

aud  duty  to  pro-  '  ^  *^^ 

*eot'  they  alo'iiie  fossess,  the  power  of  preserving  aud 

cherishing  this  valuable  interest,  are  in  a  most 
just  sense  the  trustee  thereof  for  the  benefit  of 


CONCLUSION. 


301 


sessino-,  as 


mankind  and  should  he  permitted  to  discharge    AstruHtee.riKi 

'  and  iliity  tti  pn 

their  trust  without  hindrance. 


toct. 


pro- 


In  respect  to  the  second  question  heretofore    '*"'"-" 


niiiat    bo    prohib- 


stated,  it  will  be  claimed  by  the  United  States,  '^"'*" 
that  the  extermination  of  this  seal  herd  can  only- 
he  prevented  by  the  practical  prohibition  of 
pelagic  sealing  in  all  the  waters  to  which  it 
resorts. 

The  United  States  Government  defers  argu-,.^.;^^^« "'"""*  ''"- 
ment  in  support  of  the  propositions  above  an- 
nounced until  a  later  stage  of  these  proceedings. 

In   respect  to  the    jurisdiction  conferred  by    TriiMinni    mny 
the  treaty,  it  conceives  it  to  be  within  the  pi'Ov-"J.  pieiei.'n.e'^regu! 
iuce  of  this  high  Tribunal  to  sanction  by  its  de-  '"*'""*• 
cision  any  course  of  executive  conduct  in  respect 
to  the  subject  in  disj)ute,  which  either  nation 
would,  in  thejudgment  of  this  Tribunal,  be  deemed 
justified  in  adopting,  under  the  circumstances  of 
the  case;  or  to  prescribe  for  the  high  contracting 
parties  any  agreement  or  regulations  in  respect 
to  it,  which  in  equity,  justice,  humanity,  and  en- 
lightened policy  the   case  appears  to  require. 

In   conclusion  the   United  States  invoke  the  iJ.'*^"'"^'''''**'^^ 
judgment  of  this  high  Tribunal  to  the  effect : 

First.  That  prior  and  up  to  the  time  of  the  exSv^rTght  in 
cession  of  Alaska  to  the  United  States  liussia   *'"°*^ 


i|# 


■  ■■  ■■  *v 


uim^'  »g!l-'«' 


m 


iiH 

lii! 


w 


302 


CONCLUSION. 


Russia  exercised  asserted  aiitl  exercised  an  exclusive  rij^lit  to  tlie 

exclu.sivi'  right  in 

Bering  Sea.  seal  tislierics  in  the  waters  of  Bering  Sea,  and 

also  asserted  and  exercised  throughout  that  sea 
the  rig'lit  to  prevent  by  the  employment,  when 
necessary,  of  reasonable  force  any  invasion  of 
such  exclusive  right. 

Bcntcd.*^"*'''""'"  'A'liat  Great  Britain,  not  having  at  any  time 
resisted  or  objected  to  such  assertions  of  exclu- 
sive right,  or  to  such  exercise  of  power,  is  to  be 
deemed  as  having  recognized  and  assented  to 
the  same. 

"Pad'ik^o^cTau""*  'I'l*'^*  *li^  ^ody  of  Water  now  known  as  Bering 
Sea  was   not  included  in  the  phrase  "Pacific 

Ocean,"  as  used  in  the  treaty  of  1825  between 
Great  Britain  and  Russia,  and  that  after  said 
treaty,  and  down  to  the  time  of  tlie  cession  to  the 
United  States,  Russia  continued  to  assert  the 
same  exclusive  rights  and  to  exercise  the  same  ex- 
clusive power  and  authority  as  above  mentioned. 
RiKi,ts..fT?nssia     r^.j^.^^  .^jj  ^^       -^^^^  ^£  Russia  in  resi)ect  to  the 

iiBsed   to   Lulled  b  i 

seal  tisheries  in  Bering  Sea  east  of  the  water 
boundary  established  by  the  treaty  of  March  30, 
1867,  between  that  uation  and  the  United  States, 
and  all  the  power  and  authority  possessed 
and  asserted  by  Russia  to  protect  said  rights 
passed  unimpaired  to  the  United  States  under 
the  treaty  last  mentioned. 


tates. 


CONCLUSION. 


303 


That  the  United  States  liave  such  a  property    rmted  states 

have   prciperty   in 

and  interest  in  the  Ahiskan  seal  herd  as  to  justify  'i"<i  ,"gijt  to  pro- 

•'  ^   tect  herd. 

the  emj)loyment  by  that  nation,  upon  Jie  high 
seas,  of  such  mef.ns  as  are  reasonably  necessary 
to  prevent  the  destruction  of  such  herd,  and  to 
secure  the  possession  and  benefit  of  the  same  to 
the  United  States ;  and  that  all  the  acts  and  pro- 
ceedings of  the  United  States  done  and  had  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  such  property  and 
interest  were  justifiable  and  stand  justified;  and 
that  compensation  should,  in  pursuance  of  Ai-ticle  Damages. 
Vof  the  Convention  of  April  18,  1892,  be  made 
to  the  United  States  by  Great  Britain  by  the 
payment  by  the  latter  of  the  aggregate  sura 
hereinbefore  stated  as  the  amount  of  the  losses 
of  the  United  States,  or  such  other  sum  as  may 
be  deemed  by  this  high  Tribunal  to  be  just;  or. 

Second.  That  should  it  be  considered  that  the    OrOreatRritain 

and  United  States 

United  States  have  not  the  full  i)roperty  or  ))roi)-8''f»"''i  coucur  in 

•^       ^         ''  *^       '     regulationB. 

erty  interest  asserted  by  them,  it  be  then  de- 
clared and  decreed  to  be  the  international  duty 
of  Great  Britain  to  concur  with  the  United  States 
in  the  adoption  and  enforcement  against  the  citi- 
zens of  either  nation  of  such  regulations,  to  be 
designed  and  prescribed  by  this  high  Fribunal, 
as  will  effectually  prohibit  and  prevent  the  cap- 
ture, anywhere  upon  the  high  seas,  of  any  seals 
belonging  to  the  said  herd. 


'i\m: 


^  :\  ■  ■  I 


^^■^Mi 


iil- 


>s  :■ 


Si!^ 


REPORTS  OF 
BERING  SEA  COMMISSION. 


'ffrmii 


m 


2716 39 


809 


>^.' 


■4  ^-    ^i;f-' 


BERING  SEA  COMMISSION. 


JOINT  REPORT, 

An  agreement  having  been  entered  into  be- 
tween the  Governments  of  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain  to  the  effect  that — 

"Each  Government  shall  appoint  two  Com-^j.|*^''^°^'^'®"*  ®^ 
missioners  to  investigate  conjointly  with  the 
Commissioners  of  the  other  Government  all  the 
facts  having  relation  to  seal  life  in  Bering  Sea, 
and  the  measures  necessary  for  its  proper  protec- 
tion and  preservation. 

"  The  four  Commissioners  shall,  so  far  as  they 
may  be  able  to  agree,  make  a  joint  report  to 
each  of  the  two  Governments,  and  they  shall  also 
report,  either  jointly  or  severally,  to  each  Gov- 
ernment on  any  points  upon  which  they  may  be 
unable  to  agree. 

"  These  reports  shall  not  be  made  public  until 

they  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Arbitrators,  or  it 

shall  appear  that  the  contingency  of  their  being 

used  by  the  Arbitrators  can  not  arise." 

S07 


I'lrr^'-"'" 


lii'li 


Sources  of  infer" 
matiun. 


308  EEPORTS   OF    nERING   SEA   COMMISSION. 

Report.  And  we,  ill  accordance  with  tlie  above  agree- 

ment, having  been  duly  commissioned  by  our 
respective  Governments  and  having  commiini- 
catsd  to  eacli  other  our  respective  powers,  found 

in  good  and  due  form,  have  agreed  to  the  follow- 
ir.^- report: 

1.  The  joint  investigation  has  been  canned  out 
by  us,  and  we  have  utihzed  all  sources  of  infor- 
iiiation  available.  ■ 

2.  The  several  breeding  places  on  the  Pribilof 
Islands  have  been  examined,  and  the  genenil 
management  and  method  for  taking  the  seals 
upon  the  islands  have  been  investigated. 

3.  In  regard  to  the  distribution  and  habits  of 
the  fur-seal  when  seen  at  sea,  information  based 
on  the  observations  recorded  by  the  cruisers  of 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  engaged  in 
carrying  out  the  modus  vivendi  of  1891,  Ims 
been  exchanged  for  the  purpose  of  enabliii<>' 
general  conclusions  to  be  arrived  at  on  these 
points. 

4.  Meetings  of  the  Joint  Commission  were  lield 
in  Washington  beginning  on  Monday,  February 
8,  1892,  and  continuing  until  Friday,  March  4, 
1892. 

As  a  result  of  these  meetings  we  find  ourselves 
in  accord  on  the  following  propositions: 


Meetings    of 
Commiii8iou. 


^r-^fe..- 


JOINT    REPORT. 


309 


*i 


5.  We  are  in  thorouffh  agreement  that  for  in-    Duty  to  protect 
(lustrial  as  well  as  for  other  obvious  reasons  it  is 
incumbent  upon  all  nations,  and  particularly  upon 

those  having  direct  commercial  interests  in  fur- 
seals,  to  provide  for  their  proper  protection  and 
})reservation. 

6.  Our  joint  and  several  investigations  have  led    conclusions 
us  to  certain  conclusions,  in  the  first  place,  in 

regard  to  the  facts  of  seal  life,  including  both 
the  existing  conditions  and  their  causes ;  and  in 
the  second  place,  in  regard  to  such  remedies  as 
may  be  necessary  to  secure  the  fur-seal  against 
depletion  or  commercial  extermination. 

7.  We  find  that  since  the  Alaska  purchase  a,  Dw i«^a8e  of  seal 
marked  diminution  in  the  number  of  seals  on 

and  habitually  resorting  to  the  Pribilof  Islands 
has  taken  place;  that  it  has  been  cumulative  in 
effect,  and  that  it  is  the  result  of  excessive  kill- 
ing by  man. 

8.  Finding  that  considerable  diff'erence  of  opin-    Furtiier  joint 

^         report  iuij)o6sil>le. 

ion  exists  on  certain  fundamental  propositions, 

which  renders  it  impossible,  in  a  satisfactory 
manner,  to  express  our  views  in  a  joint  report, 

we  have  agreed  that  we  can  most  conveniently 

state  our  respective  conclusions  on  these  matters 

in  the  "several  reports"  which  it  is  provided  may 

be  submitted  to  our  respective  Governments. 


810 


EEPORTf*    OF    BERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


i'i 


Further  joint      Sknied  ill  <lu))H('att^  at  the  city  of  WsiHliino-- 

reportiiMfuMuble.  <-  i  ./  n 

ton,  this  4tli  (hiy  of  Marcli,  1S92. 

Thoma.s  Corwix  Mkndknhall. 
Clinton  Hart  Mkkijiam. 
George  Smyth  Hadkn- Powell. 
Georcje  AfERCER  Uawson. 
Joseph  Stanley  Hrown, 
Ashley  Anthony  Froi'de, 

Joint  Secfetaries. 


^-^'$h^ 

•.■••■:  :mii 

m 

•rs.  ^>s 


■s^'^m 


'%■ 


.'V       I-:  ,  '       \ 

-If:,'",.  ■■' 


REPORT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
BERING  SEA  COMMISSIONERS. 

The  Honorable  Secretary  of  State  : 

Sib:  In  your  letter  of  July  10,  1891,  received  Appointment 
by  us  in  San  Francisco  on  the  16tli,  after 
referring  to  the  diplomatic  CDntroversy  pending 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  in 
respect  to  the  killing  of  ftu'-seals  by  British  sub- 
jects and  vessels,  to  the  causes  which  led  up  to 
this  controversy,  and  to  some  of  the  propositions 
which  had  at  that  date  been  mutually  agreed 
upon,  you  inform  us  that  the  President  has  been 
pleased  to  appoint  us  to  proceed  to  the  Pribilof 
Islands  and  to  make  certain  investigations  of  the 
facts  relative  to  seal  life  with  a  view  to  ascer- 
taining what  permanent  measures  are  necessary 
for  the  preservation  of  the  fur-seal  in  Bering  Sea 
and  the  North  Pacific  Ocean. 

You  further  inform  us  that  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  the  fourth  clause  of  the  morfM.s"°°®"' 
Vivendi  agreed  upon  at  Washington  on  the  15th 
of  June,   1891,  the  Queen  had  appointed   Sir 
George  Baden-Powell,  M.  P.,  and  Professor  Daw- 

311 


Appointment  of 
British     Commis- 


^«p^ 


III  i 


312 


REPORTS    OF    IJERING    SEA    rOMMISSION. 


sioiiurH, 

(H>jt'rt  of  Com 
iiiiHHiuu. 


ProviHi  o  n  8 
ugreemeut. 


Vppoiiitinotit  Olson'  to  Visit  tlui  1  nlnlot  Isliiuds  fortlio  same  pur- 

ititli^ComiiiiM-  ^  •  i       n   •  •  i     r« 

j)ose  .'Uid  as  reprcsciitmj^tlu'  lintisli  uovonmicnt. 
After  exj)laliiin<4'  tin-  use  to  wliicli  tliis  infonfii- 
tioii  may  in  the  end  he  put,  namely,  that  it  mii\ 
be  hiid  before  arbitrators  wlio  woidd  probabh  he 
selected  to  consider  and  adjust  the  differences  be- 
tween the  two  Govennnents,  you  add  that  the 
President  proposed,  in  reference  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  Joint  Commission,  the  agi'eement  for 
which  is  to  be  made  contemporaneously  with  the 
terms  of  arbitration,  the  following  terms  of  agreo- 
nie  it : 

f  ''P^ach  Government  shall  appoint  two  Commis- 
sioners to  investigate  conjointly  with  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  other  Government  all  the  facts 
having  relation  to  seal  life  in  Bering  Sea  and  the 
measures  necessary  for  its  proper  protection  and 
jn'eservation.  The  four  Commissioners  shall,  so 
far  as  they  may  be  able  to  agree,  make  a  joint  re- 
port to  each  of  the  two  Governments,  and  they 
shall  also  report,  either  jointly  or  severally,  to 
each  Government  on  any  points  upon  which  they 
may  be  unable  to  agree.  These  reports  shall  not 
be  made  public  until  they  shall  be  submitted  to 
the  Arbitrators  or  it  shall  appear  that  the  contin- 
gency of  their  being  used  by  the  Arbitrators  can 
not  arise." 

•  Dr.  George  M.  Dawson,  Asst.  Director,  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada. 


■■'>-^®p' 


RKPORT    OF    AMKRICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


313 


al  Survey  of 


And  finther,  that  wliile  it  was  (le.sira))lo  that    Conduct  of  in- 
vestigation. 

(»iir  investigation  should,  even  before  the  conclu- 
sion of  a  formal  agreement  as  to  tlie  duties  and 
functions  of  a  Joint  Conunission,  l)e  made  con- 
currently with  those  of  the  British  agents,  yet 
until  the  agreement  for  the  Conunission  shall  have 
been  concluded  we  were  not  authorized  to  discuss 
with  them  the  subject  of  a  joint  report  or  to  make 
any  interchange  of  views  on  the  subject  of  perma- 
nent regulations  for  the  preservation  of  the  seal. 

In  accordance  with  these  instructions,  we  at    Proceed  to  Ber- 
ing Sea. 

once  proceeded  to  Bering  Sea  on  the  Fish 
Commission  steamer  Albatross,  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Tanner,  which  had  been  placed  at  our 
disposal  for  the  purpose. 

We  met  the  British   Commissioners   first  at  .  J<>i»t  invcstiga- 

tiuua, 

Unalaska,  and  afterwards  at  the  Pribilof  Islands. 
Several  of  the  principal  rookei-ies  were  visited  in 
their  company  and  our  observations  were  made 
under  similar  circumstances  and  conditions. 

In  addition  to  noting  such  facts  as  were  clearly  ^  Sources  of  in- 

"  •'  furniatiou. 

established  by  the  physical  aspect  of  the  rook- 
eries themselves  we  sought  information  and 
obtained  much  of  value  from  those  who  have 
resided  long  upon  the  islands,  including  both 
Aleuts  and  whites,  all  engaged  exclusively  in 
the  sealing  industry.  At  San  Francisco  and  at 
Unalaska  on  our  way  to  the  Pribilof  Islands, 


2716- 


-40 


."^'^^^'"l 


il>  , 


"J'^S^ 


314 


REPORTS    OF    BKRINO    SKA    COMMISSION. 


Rctnni. 


Sources  of  iiifoi-.^,,,!  .^^  p^^Yt  'rovviist'iwl,  Tsu'oiuii,  aiul  olscwlu'ici 
on  t)ur  return,  we  availed  ourselves  of  tiie  testi- 
mony of  any  person  whose  connection  with  this 
industry  was  such  as  to  render  his  statements  <»t 
real  value. 

We  returned  to  Washington  before  the  Ist  ol 
October  and  were  rejidy  at  any  tiiUe  after  that 
to  take  up  the  discussion  of  the  subject  with  the 
representatives  of  Her  Majesty's  Government. 

The  formal  agreement  to  the  creation  of  a 
Joint  Commission  had  not  been  entered  into, 
however,  and  it  was  not  until  the  4th  of  F(^1)- 
ruary,  1892,  that  we  were  formally  designated 
as  Connnissioners  on  the  part  of  the  Government 
of  the  United  States. 


Foniml  nppoiiit 
lueut. 


Arranponient  as     We    immediately    called    upon    Sir 

to     meetin^B     of  j  i 

Joint  coiimii88ion.  Hadeu-Powell  and  Dr.  Georjre  M.  DaA 


eorge 
who 


'"^y-y-H^ 


had  been  similarly  designated  by  the  Ihitish 
Government,  and  who  had  come  to  Washington 
for  the  Conference,  informing  them  of  our  readi- 
ness to  begin  the  joint  consideration  and  discus- 
sion of  the  subject  at  such  a  time  as  might  suit 
their  convenience.  We  also  stated  that  as  it 
was  our  understanding  that  the  official  existence 
of  the  Joint  Commission  depended  upon  the 
mutual  agreement  of  the  two  Governments  to 
the  articles  of  arbitration,  and  as  the  articles  liad 
not  yet  been  signed,  only  an  infovmal  conference 


REPORT    OF    AMKKICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


315 


could  1)0  onttn'e«l  uimii.     It  was  bolievt'd,  how-    Arraiiffrtiient  an 

to      iii)'<'tiiiK>*      "t 

ever,  tiuit  (luite  as  ra})id  proj^re.sH  could  he  made  •'*»">*  C""*'"'""'""' 

iu  this  way  as  in  any  other.     To  this  proposition 

the  Ooniinissioners  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain 

(►tiered   no  objection   at   the  time,   but  on  the 

t'ollowiufjc  day  they  informed  us  that  they  were 

unable  to    enter  into  a  conference  which  was 

informal  in  its  nature. 

Desirinff  to  remove  every  obstacle  in  the  way  ,  MeetinRs    of 

'^  •'  *'  Joiut  Coniiumsiou. 

of  the  iuunediate  consideration  of  this  subject, 
the  (piestion  of  the  tormality  of  the  Conference 
was  wai\ed  on  our  side  and  the  formal  meetings 
of  the  Commissioners  in  Joint  Conference  began 
on  the  afternoon  of  February  11,  at  the  Depart- 
ment of  State. 

Mr.  Joseph  Stanley-Brown  was  selected  as  the  wHhout"*forma1 
secretary  of  the  Joint  Connnission  on  the  part  of ''**'**'^*^' 
the  United  States,  and  Mr.  Ashley  Froude  on 
the  part  of  Great  Britain.  In  determining  the 
nature  of  the  Conference  it  was  agreed  that  in 
order  to  allow  of  the  freest  possible  discussion 
and  i)resentation  of  views,  no  formal  record  of 
the  proceedings  should  be  kept  and  that  none 
but  the  four  members  of  the  Commission  shv^ald 
l)e  present  during  its  deliberations.  In  further  at- 
tempt to  remove  all  restrictions  upon  the  fullest 
expression  of  opinions  during  the  Conference,  it 
was  agreed  that  in  our  several  reports  no  refer- 


1 


^- 


m 

.;!  ',11  lAtU-^       I 

^'.  mm 


Si  ■■[■■■ 


.il??i 


U'l 


i%    ^  * 


.'i/'i 


'^^^.^%^^'^*i 


^#-^^ 


316 


REPORTS    OF    IJERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


without 
recoids 


Meetings    oon 
tiuued. 


Disagreement. 


Meetings  heidence  to  persoiis,  as  related  to  views  or  opinions 

ithout     formal  _ 

expressed  by  members  of  the  Commission  dur- 
ing the  Conference,  should  be  made. 

Meetings  of  the  Joint  Commission  were  held 
almost  daily  from  the  11th  of  February  until  the 
4th  of  March,  on  which  day  the  joint  report  was 
signed  and  the  Conference  adjourned  sine  die. 

Early  in  the  progress  of  the  Conference  it  bo- 
came  evident  that  there  were  wide  differences  of 
opinion,  not  only  as  to  conclusions,  but  also  as  to 
facts.  It  seems  proper  here  to  refer  briefly  to 
the  attitude  of  the  Commissioners  on  the  part 
of  the  United  States  or  to  the  standpoint  fi'oni 
which  they  endeavored  to  consider  the  questions 
involved. 
"^  The  instructions  under  which  we  acted  are 
contained  in  Article  IX  of  the  Arbitration  Con- 
vention, and,  as  far  as  relates  to  the  nature  of  tho 
inquiry,  are  as  follows  : 

"Each  Government  shall  appoint  two  Com- 
missioners to  investigate  conjointly  with  tlio 
Commissioners  of  the  other  Government  all  tlu* 
facts  having  relation  to  seal  life  in  E.  ring  Scji, 
and  the  measures  necessary  for  its  proper  pro- 
tection and  preservation." 

Tills  sentence  appears  to  be  simple  in  its  char- 
acter and  entirely  clear  as  to  its  meaning-.  ^I'lie 
measures  to  be  recommended  were  such  as  in 


Art'ole 
treaty. 


IX 


Anplication 
Articla  IX. 


of 


KEPORT   OF    AJUEBICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


317 


our  iiidffmeiit  were  necessary  and  suffittient  to  AT»pii«*fcion  of 
secure  the  proper  protection  and  preservation  of 
seal  lite.  With  questions  of  international  rights, 
treaty  provisions,  commercial  interests,  or  polit- 
ical relations  we  had  no:hing  to  do.  It  was  oiu* 
opinion  that  the  considerations  of  the  Joint 
Commission  ought  to  have  been  restricted  to 
this  phase  of  the  question,  so  clearly  put  forth 
in  the  agreement  under  which  the  Commission 
was  organized,  and  so  evidently  the  original 
intent  of  both  Governments  when  the  investiga- 
tion was  in  contemplation. 

Had  the  preservation  and  perpetuation  of  seal  ^f.""'*  "*  '^"'■^' 
life  alone  been  considered,  as  was  urged  by  us, 
there  is  little  doubt  that  the  joint  report  would 
have  been  H)f  a  much  more  satisfactor}-  nature, 
and  that  it  would  have  included  much  more 
than  a  mere  reiteration  of  the  now  universally 
admitted  fact  that  the  number  of  seals  on  and 
frequenting  the  Pribilof  Islands  is  now  less  than 
in  fonner  years,  and  that  the  hand  of  man  is 
responsible  for  this  dimhiution. 

That  our  on'n  view  of  the  nature  of  the  task    Artici.'  i.\  inter- 

jiretuil    ilittt'iciitly 

before  us  was  not  shared  bv  our  colleagues  rep-  ''>;  i^'  'fi«ii  com- 
resenting  the  other  side  was  soon  manifest,  and 
it  became  clear  that  no  sort  of  an  agreement 
sufliciently  comprehensive  to  bv^  v/ortiiy  of  con- 
sideration and  at  the  same  time  definite  en(^ms»'h 


III 


''Mi 


t,t.i 


Ife 


.>^f«fi 


318 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


^..J\ 


:J^^m' 


":^i:m 


Ariiclcix  intiT-to   ullow   its  c'(mse({Ueiices  to   be   tli()U«(ht  out, 

printed   (lirt'eifiitly 

by   HritiHh  Coui-(><)ula   be    reached    bv   the    Joint    Comimssion 

niiHBiouiTs.  _    " 

unless  we  were  williug  to  surrender  absolutely 
our  opinions  as  to  the  effect  of  pelagic  sealinjj- 
on  the  lite  of  the  seal  herd,  Avhicli  opinions  Avert ' 
founded  upon  a  careful  and  impartial  study  ot 
the  whole  (juestion,  involving  the  results  of  our 
own  observations  and  those  of  many  others, 
to appriiutitai.  Under  sucli    f'U'cumstances  tlie   only   course 

open  to  us  was  to  decline  to  accede  to  any  proj)- 
osition  which  failed  to  oiTer  a  reasonable  chance 
for  the  preservation  and  protection  of  seal  life, 
or  which,  althouj^h  ap[)arently  looking  in  the 
ri^j-ht  direction,  was,  by  reason  of  the  va<^ueness 
and  ambig-uity  of  its  terms,  incajjable  of  def- 
inite interpretation  and  jf-enerally  uncertain  as  to 

c<muiissiou  ^"'"*"'^'""*^f^'  ^^^  obedieiicc  to  the  requirements  of 
the  Arbitration  Convention  that  "the  four  Com- 
missioners shall,  so  far  as  they  may  be  able  to 
agree,  make  a  joint  re[)ort  to  each  of  the  tAvo 
GoA'ernments,"  the  final  out})ut  of  the  Joint 
Commission  assumed  the  form  of  the  joint  report 
submitted  on  March  4,  it  being-  ftnuid  impossible 
in  the  end  for  the  Commissioners  to  agree  upon 
more  than  a  single  general  proposition  relatini: 
to  the   decadence  of  seal  life   on   the    Pribiloi" 

Necessity  of  a  Islands.     1^    therefore    becomes    necessarv,    in 
separatw  report . 

accordance  Avith    the  further  provision  of  said 


i-'i^"^-':  • 


REPORT    OF    AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


319 


Convention,  for  us  to  submit  in  this,  our  separate    NecePBity  of  e 

separate  report. 

report,  a  tolerably  full  discussion  of  the  whole 
question,  as  we  view  it  from  the  standpoint  re- 
ferred to  above  as  being  the  only  method  of 
treatment  which  in.sures  entire  independence  of 
thought  or  pemiits  a  logical  interpretation  of  the 
facts. 

In  order  that  this  discussion  may  be  more 
readily  understood  it  is  thought  desirable  to  pre- 
face it  by  a  brief  account  of  the  natural  history 
of  the  fur-seal. 

THF    BERING    SEA   FUR-SEAL. 

CcMorhinun  ursinus  (Liunaeus). 
The  caniivorous  mammals  are  divided  by  i^''^'"i»'^8  of 
naturalists  into  two  principal  groups,  one  coni- 
])rising  the  terrestrial  wolves,  oats,  weasels,  and 
bears;  the  other,  the  amphibious  eared-seals  and 
walruses,  and  the  aquatic  seals.  Tlie  second  divi- 
sion (suborder  Pinnipedia)  is  in  tui  nb-divided 
into  three  groups  called  families,  naiuel\',  the 
eared-seals,  comprising  the  sea-lions  and  .sea- 
bears,  or  fur-seals  {OtariuUe),  the  walruses 
(0(lohcmd(B)^  and  the  true  seals  (PJiocidce).  The 
fur-seals  and  sea-lions  form  the  connecting  link 
between  the  terrestrial  carnivores  and  the  true 
seals,  as  recognized  by  all  naturalists,  "^riie  dis- 
tinguished director  of  die  British  Museiun,  Pro- 


iiiuiiiinals. 


I 


i 


320 


RErORTS    OF    BEUING    SEA    COMMISSIOX. 


If!  I 


I 


.??«; 


ProfcB  ■  o  rfessor  FloAA'ev,  savs:  "The  fur-seals  or  sea-bears 

Flower.  '  ^  ^ 

form  a  transition  from  tlie  Fissiped 
[terrestrial]  Carnivora  to  the  seals 
When  on  land  the  hind  feet  are  turned  forward 
under  the  body,  and  aid  in  supporting  and  mov- 
ing- the  trunk  as  in  ordinary  mannnals  .  . 
As  might  be  inferred  from  their  power  of  walk- 
ing- on  all  fours,  they  spend  more  of  their  time 
on  shore,  and  range  inland  to  greater  distances, 
than  the  true  seals,  especially  at  the  breeding 
time,  though  they  are  always  obliged  to  return 
to  the  water  to  seek  their  food.  They  are  gre- 
garious and  polygamous,  and  the  males  are 
usually  much  larger  than  the  females."*  He  states 
further:  "The  resemblance  between  the  skull 
and  other  parts  of  the  body  of  the  fur-seals 
and  the  Ursoid  [/.  e.,  bear-like]  Carnivora  is  sug- 
gestive of  some  genetic  relationship  between  the 
two  gi'oups,  and  Professor  Mivart  expresses  the 
opinion  that  the  one  group  is  the  direct  descend- 
All  the  fur-seals  have  con- 
spicuous external  ears,  similar  to  those  of  most 
ten*estrial  mammals,  except  that  they  are  folded 
lengthwise  to  keep  out  the  water.  The  hair  seals 
have  no  external  ears.     It  may  be  added  that 

•Artiflo  Mainiiiuliii,  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  (188.S,  p. 
412);  mill  ii^ain  in  Iuh  most  recent  work  on  Maniuials  (Flo'rer 
and  Lydckker,  Introduction  to  the  Stndy  of  ManimalB,  London, 
1891,  pp.  593,  594). 


Distinction  be-  ant  of  the  other." 

(ween        tnr-scals 
and  hair  seals. 


^X 


'm^'rA^m. 


II 


REPORT   OF   AMERICAN    COMMI   SIGNERS. 


321 


the  fur-seals,  owin<»'  to  the  ureat' r  length  and    iMstiiutimi  iie- 

.  _         "  "  °  tween       Jiirs,  :il,s 

mobility  of  their  fli})|)ers  and  to  their  structural '"'*i ''a"  sii^is- 
peculiaiities,  travel  on  lan<l  with  considerable 
facility  and  si)eed,  the  body  being  lifted  high 
above  the  ground  and  the  gait  suggesting  the 
andjling  pace  of  the  bear.  The  true  hair  seals 
(family  Phoiidoi)  on  the  contrary  are  wholly 
unfitted  for  progression  on  land.  From  the 
natural  history  standpoint  they  represent  the 
extreme  of  differentiation  or  dej)arture  fn)m  the 
ancestral  stock  among  the  terrestrial  carnivorous 
mannnals.  In  accordance  with  their  aquatic 
habits  the  fore  legs  have  been  so  modified  that 
they  are  little  more  than  stiff  paddles,  like 
those  of  the  whale;  the  hind  flippers  stick  out 
behind  and  can  not  be  turned  forward  for  use  in 
terrestrial  locomotion  or  in  clinibing  oxer  rocks, 
and  their  bodies  drag  heavily  over  the  ground. 
Their  movements  on  land  or  ice  are  awkward 
and  laborious,  and  consist  of  a  series  of  vertical 
curvatures  and  extensions  of  the  spine,  suggest- 
ing the  method  of  locomotion  of  the  measure 
worm. 

The  amphibious  fur-seals  are  n«)t  only  inter- 
mediate between  tlie  hair  seals  and  terrestrial 
carnivorous  mammals  in  structure  and  means  of 
locomotion,  but  also  in  habits,  for  they  spend 


Fur-seals. 


*r4  .■'  '^25^' 
4  t  -^jj^l 


2716- 


41 


ill 


;^  3'>^- 


322 

Fiir-Heula. 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 

fully  half  of  their  lives  on  UukI;  they  cliinb  steep 
sind  high  hills  with  companitive  ease,  and  have 
been  known  to  travel  inland  fully  three  miles. 
The  hair  seals  are  strictl}'  atjuatic,  spending-  most 
of  the  time  in  water,  and  some  ispecies  hardl}- 
visit  the  shore  at  all. 


PRINCIPAL    FACTS    IN     THE    LIFE     HISTOliY    OF    THE 

FUR-SEAL. 

Homes   of  the      1.  The  Northern  fur-seal  (Callorhimis  nrsimis) 

fur-seaL 

is  an  inhabitant  of  Bering-  Sea  and  the  Sea  of 
Okhotsk,  where  it  breeds  on  rocky  islands.  Only 
four  breeding  colonies  are  known,  namely,  (1) 
on  the  Pribilof  Islands,  belonging  to  the  United 
States;  (2)  on  the  Connnander  Islands,  belonging 
to  Russia;  (3)  on  Kobben  Reef,  belonging  to 
Russia,  and  (4)  on  the  Ivurile  Islands,  belonging 
to  Japan.  The  Pribilof  and  Commander  Islands 
are  in  Bering  Sea;  Robben  Reef  is  in  the  Sea  of 
Okhotsk  near  the  island  of  Saghalien,  and  the 
Kurile  Islands  are  between  Yezo  and  Kam- 
chatka. The  species  is  not  known  to  breed  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world.  The  fur-seals  of 
Lobos  Island  and  the  south  seas,  and  also  those 
of  the  Galapagos   Islands  and   the   islands   oft' 


'  ^''i>^:■■'^ . 


HEPORT    OF    AMKRICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


323 


Lower  California,  l)elonj»-    to    widely    difFeront    Homes  of   the 

,^  -^  .  fur-seal. 

species  and  are  placed  in  different  {genera  from 
the  Nortliern  fur-seal. 

2.  Inwinterthefur-sealsmiffrates  into  the  North    ^•'.'•♦''«a»«'  «"»• 

o  ^ratiiiti.  •« 

Pacific  (Jcean.  The  herds  from  the  Connnsmdor 
Islands,  Hobben  Reef,  and  the  Knrile  Islands 
move  south  alonjr  the  Japan  coast,  while  the  henl 
belono-ing-  to  the  Pribilof  Islands  leaves  lierino- 
Sea  by  the  eastern  passes  of  the  Aleutian  chain. 

3.  The  fur-seals  of  the  Pribilof  Islands  do  not ,  P' ii» * » " f  and 

CuiiiiiiaiKliT  herds 

mix  with  those  of  the  Conmiander  and  Kurile  "'*"'"* '"'"«'•*• 
islands  at  any  time  of  the  year.     In  summer  the 
two  herds  remain  entirely  distinct,  separated  by 

a  water  interval  of  several  hundred  miles;  and  in  

their  winter  mif^rations  those  from  the  Pribilof 
Islands  follow  the  American  coast  in  a  southeast- 
erly direction,  wdiile  those  from  the  Commander 
and  Kurile  islands  follow  the  Sil)orian  and  Ja])an 
coasts  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  the  two  herds 
l)eing^  separated  in  winter  by  a  water  interval  v^f 
several  thousand  miles.  This  regularity  in  the 
movements  of  the  different  herds  is  in  obedience 
to  the  well  known  law  that  migratory  anmals 
fnUow  definite  routes  in  migration  and  return  year 
after  year  to  the  same  places  to  breed.  Were  it  not 
for  this  law  there  would  be  no  such  thing  as 
bt'«bility  of  species,  for  interbreeding  and  exist- 


w. 


I      ni 


i''I¥M 


m 


Tiiil 


•---1 


-^'Ai    '' 


ii,|.. 


324 


REPORT   OP   UKRING   SKA    COMMISSION. 


rriiiiiof  auiience    under   diverse    i)hysi,»<rnii)hic    conditions 

CoiiiiuiiinU'r  herds  *     "^        "      ' 

do  uot  luiiifjio.      would  destroy  all  specific  clianicters.* 
Diner eiMM-  of     ^lie  ijeUiffe  of  the  Pribilof  fur-seals  differs  s(. 

IM'liijjf  oi  Alaskan  i         " 

beuL.*^""*'""  ""■■  "Tiarkedly  from  that  of  the  Commander  Islands 
fur-seals  that  the  two  are  readily  distinj^uislicd 
by  experts,  and  have  very  different  values,  tlic 
former  commanding-  much  higher  prices  than  tliu 
latter  at  the  regular  London  sales. 

tion!*'"*"*"''^'""  -i-  'I'he  old  breeding  nudes  of  the  Pribilof  herd 
are  not  known  to  range  much  south  of  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands,  but  the  females  and  young  ap[)ear 
along  the  American  coast  as  far  south  as  north- 
ern California.     Returning,  the  herds  of  females 

Course  of  north-  i  i       i  i  <•    /-v 

ward  migration,  juove  nortliward  along  the  coasts  ot  Oregon, 
Washington,  and  Hriti.sh  Columbia  in  January, 
February,  and  March,  occurring  at  varying  dis- 
tances from  shore.  Following  the  Alaska  coa.st 
northward  and  westward  they  leave  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean  in  June,  traverse  the  eastern  passes 
in  the  Aleutian  chain,  and  proceed  at  once  to  the 
Pribilof  Islands. 

*  The  home  of  a  sppcitw  is  Uie  area  over  which  it  breeds.  It  is 
well  known  to  naturalists  that  migratory  animals,  whether  niaiii- 
mals,  birds,  Hslies,  or  members  of  other  grou])s,  leave  their  homes 
for  a  part  of  the  year  beeause  the  elinnitic  eonditions  or  the  fond 
supply  become  unsuited  to  their  needs;  and  that  wherever  the 
home  of  a  species  is  so  situated  as  to  provide  a  suitable  climate 
and  fooil  supply  throui;hout  the  year  such  species  do  not  migrati^ 
Tl'is  is  the  ex))lanati()n  of  the  fact  that  the  Northern  fur-seals  ;uv 
migrants,  while  the  fur-seals  of  tropical  and  warm  temperate  lati- 
tudes do  not  migrate. 


'•■J' . 

1:!:-      1    ' 

*v  4 

ftr 

'^A 

As 

\t:  \ 

'•''l',.     '.- 

'-S 

^■, 

m 

v'l 

\ .  ■,  1  il 

.'f'''  /, 

■  •'^'i 

IS'  ./ 

i    '   \ 

''^4 

•>      i 

>»f^. 

fl 

^    • 

^  4  ',- 

^ 

1 


K 


REPORT   Ol-'   AMERICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


325 


oiulitions 

cUflFers  so 
r  Islands 
ing'uislu'd 
allies,  tlu' 
<  than  the 

bilof  hertl 
the  Aleu- 
\g  ap[)ear 
as  iiorth- 
)f  females 
'  Oreg-on, 

January, 
ryino-  dis- 
Iska  coast 

he  North 
ern  passes 
nee  to  the 


breeds.  It  is 
lother  iiiaiii- 
tlit'ir  hoiiii's 
or  the  fond 
herever  tlic, 

table  cliiiiiitc 
not  migrate 
t'nr-seals  »rv 

iiiperate  lati- 


5.  Tiie  old  (breeding)  males  reach  the  islands    Arrival  of  breed- 

iiij;    males   at   is- 

mnch  earlier,  the  first  cominj^  the  last  week  in'"*"*!*' 
April  or  earlv  in  May.  l^hev  at  once  land  and 
take  stands  on  the  rookeries,  where  they  await 
the  arrival  of  the  females.  Each  male  (called  a 
hull)  selects  a  large  rock  on  or  near  which  he  re- 
mains until  August,  unless  driven  off  by  stronger 
bulls,  never  leaving-  tor  a  single  instant  night  or 
day,  and  taking  neither  food  nor  water.  Both 
before  and  for  sometime  after  the  amval  of  the 
females  (called  cows)  the  bulls  fight  savagely  ,J,^2!^,'/°  *^* 
among  themselves  for  positions  on  the  rookeries 
and  for  possession  of  the  cows,  and  many  are 
severely  wounded.  All  the  bulls  are  located  by 
June  20. 

G.  The  bachelor  seals  (holluschickie)  begin  to  j,.^f;;;;,y."'^;!"J^J«: 
arrive  early  in  jMaj',  and  large  numbers  are  on "'"'  '*"*'"■ 
the  hauling  grounds  by  the  end  of  May  or  first 
week  of  June.     They  begin  to  leave  the  islands 
in  November,  but  many  remain  into  December 
or  January,  and  sometimes  into  February. 

7.  The  cows  begin  arriving  early  in  June,  and  Arrival  of  cowi. 
soon  appear  in  large  schools  or  droves,  immense 
numbers  taking  their  places  on  the  rookeries  each 
day  between  the  middle  and  end  of  the  month, 
the  precise  dates  varying  with  the  weather.  They 
assemble  about  the  old  bulls  in  compact  groups 
called  harems.     The  harems  are  complete  early 


320 


REPORTft   OF    HERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


Arrival  of  cowH.  in  July,  at  wliicli  time  the  breeding  rookeries 
Htfain  their  maxiinum  size  and  couij)actnes». 
Hirtii  of  the  8.  The  COWS  give  birth  to  their  young  soon 
after  takinji  their  phices  on  the  iiarems  in  tlic 
hitter  i)art  of  June  and  in  July,  but  a  few  art' 
delayed  until  August.  The  period  of  gestation  is 
between  eleven  and  twelve  months. 

at^birthf'' """""     9-  A  single  young  is  born  in  each  instance. 
The  young  at  birth  are  about  equally  divided  as 
to-^ex. 
Depeinieiic   ot      iQ.  The  act  of  uursinff  is  performed  on  land, 

])U  |l         II  |IOU         I   t  H  CI  1  7 

mother.  never  in  the  water.     It  is  nec^essary,  therefore, 

for  the  cows  to  remain  at  the  islands  until  the 

young  are  weaned,  which  is  not  until  they  nn^ 

Cow   siickhisfour  or  five  months  old.     Each  mother  knows 

her  owu  piiii  only. 

her  own  pup  and  will  not  permit  any  other  to 
inu'se.  This  is  the  reason  so  many  thousand 
pups  starve  to  death  on  the  rookeries  when  their 
mothers  are  killed  at  sea.  We  have  repeatedly 
seen  nursing  cows  come  out  of  the  water  and 
search  for  their  young,  often  traveling  consider- 
able distances  and  visiting  group  after  group  ot 
pups  before  finding  their  own.  On  reaching  an 
assemblage  of  pups,  some  of  which  are  awake 
and  others  asleep,  she  rapidly  moves  about  among 
them,  sniffing  at  each,  and  then  gallops  off  to  the 
next.  Those  that  are  awake  advance  toward  her 
with  the  exident  purpose  of  nursing,  but  she 


UEI'OUT    OF    AMERICAN    COMMISSIONKKS. 


327 


repels  them  with  a  snarl  ami  passes  on.     When    dw   HiukivH 

'  lier  owiipii])  ouly. 

slie  finds  her  own  she  fondles  it  a  moment, 
turns  partly  over  on  her  side  so  as  to  present  her 
nipples,  and  it  promptly  lu'gins  to  suek.  In 
one  instance  we  saw  a  mother  carry  her  })up 
back  a  distance  of  fifteen  meters  (fifty  feet) 
before  allowing  it  to  nurse.  It  is  said  that  the 
cows  sometimes  recognize  their  young  by  their 
cry,  a  sort  of  bleat. 

11.  Soon  after  birth  the  pups  move  away  from    'Podding.' 
the  harems  and  huddle  together  in  small  grouj)s, 

called  *  pods,'  along  the  borders  of  the  breeding 
rookeries  and  at  some  distance  from  the  water. 
The  small  groups  gradually  unite  to  foi-m  larger 
groups,  which  move  slowly  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  When  six  or  eight  weeks  old  the  puj)s 
begin  to  learn  to  swim.     Not  only  are  the  vouny  .  Acniatic     birth 

'^  ./  .  r-  impossible. 

not  born  at  sea,  but  if  soon  after  birth  the}'  are 
washed  into  the  sea  they  are  drowned. 

12.  The  fiuxseal  is  ijolygamous,  and  the  male  .C'omp.yati  ve 

I      J  fs  '  fliztf    ot    bull  and 

is  at  least  five  times  as  large  as  the  female.     As'"^^' 

a  rule  each  male  serves  about  fifteen  or  twent\-    '^''»*'  iiarem. 

females,  but  in  some  cases  as  many  as  fifty  or 

more. 

13.  The  act  of  copulation  takes  place  on  land,    Copulation, 
and  lasts  from  five  to  ten  minutes.     Most  of  tlie 

cows  are  served  by  the  middle  of  July,  or  soon 


m'i'  '-3?*'  ■■■! 


■  ■S'itu., 


-'4 


Wr 


•v.. 


-  ,   \ 


328 


Copnlati«)ii. 


REPORTS   OP    HEKING    SKA    COMMISSION. 


after  tlu'  hirtli  of  tlioir  pups.     They  then  take  th(^ 
water,  and  come  and  j»o  tor  food  wliile  nursinj;-. 
K«»Ttiiiziition  of     14.  Man\'  vountf  bulls  succeed  in  securinjf  a 

youug  eOWB.  ^  ^     ./  o  ^  n 

few  COWS  behind  or  away  from  tlie  In'eedinj; 
harems,  particuhu'ly  hite  in  th(<  season  (after  tlic 
middle  of  July,  at  vvhi<'h  time  the  re<^uliir 
harems  bej^in  to  break  up).  It  is  almost  certain 
that  many,  if  not  most,  of  the  young-  cows  are 
served  for  the  first  time  by  these  }'oun{^  bulls, 
either  on  the  hauling  grounds  or  along  the  water 
front. 

These  bulls  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance 
from  those  on  the  regular  harems  by  the  circum- 
stance that  they  are  fat  and  in  excellent  condi- 
tion, while  those  that  have  fasted  for  three 
months  on  the  breeding  rookeries  are  much 
emaciated  and  exhausted.  The  young  bulls, 
even  when  they  have  succeeded  in  capturing  a 
number  of  cows,  can  be  driven  from  their  stands 
with  little  difficulty,  wliile  (as  is  well  known) 
the  old  bulls  on  the  harems  wili  die  in  their 
tracks  rather  than  leave. 
Aff.'  of  puberty      ]  5.  Xlie  COWS  are  believed  to  take  the  bull  first 

in  cows. 

when  two  years  old,  and  deliver  their  first  pup 
when  three  years  old. 


16.  Bulls   first   take  stands  on  the  breeding 


AgH  at  which 
mah'Ngoiii  hreeil- 

ing  grouud8.        rookeries  when  six  or  seven  years  old.     Before 


^i-^^A 


REPOKT    OF    AMKKICAN    OOMMLSHIONEUS. 


3JI) 


this  they  are  not  powm-fiil  eiioujrh  to  fight  the  |^j^«^'^'y.||'^,'|'j'||^ 
older  bullH  for  positions  on  the  harems.  ing«n.uu.i«. 

17.  Cows  when  nursin«»-  n'^nhirly  travel-  lonif  . '''««'<i'>'«  t^'m- 
distances  to  teed.      rii«*y  are  tmjuently  found 

one  hundred  or  one  hunched  and  tifty  miles  from 
the  islands,  and  sometimes  al  «>reater  distances. 

18.  The  food  of  the  fur-seal   consists  of  fish,     •"'""*• 
squids,  crustaceans,  and  prohahly  other  forms  of 
marine  life  also.     (See  Appendix  ,K.) 

ly.  The  «reat  majority  of  cows,  pups,  and  such  iill''^"'*'  ''"'" 
of  the  breeding-  bulls  as  have  not  already  gone, 
leave  the  islands  about  the  middle  of  Xovend)er, 
the  date  varvino-  c(»nsid(»rablv  with  the    season. 

20.  Part  of  the  non-breeding-  male  seals  (liol- 
luschickie),  together  with  a  few  old  bulls,  remain 
until  .January,  and  in  rare  instances  until  Feb- 
ruary, iiv  even  later. 

21.  The  fur-set vl  jis  a  species  is  present  at  tlu^  j^^lJ^IIYsi/^ilJs'! 
Pribilof  Islands  eight  or  nine  months  of  the  year, 

or  from  two-thirds  to  three-fourths  of  the  time, 
and  in  mild  winters  sometimes  during  the  entire 
year.  The  breeding  bulls  arrive  earliest  and 
remain  continuously  on  the  islands  about  four 
months;  the  breeding  cows  remain  about  six 
months,  and  part  of  the  non-bree<Hng  male  seals 
about  eight  or  nine  months,  and  sometimes 
throughout  the  entiie  year. 
2716 ^12 


I 


If 


lii 

'  -.1  > 


HW' 


330 


REPORTS    or    BKRINO    SEA    POMMISSTON. 


vlf 


Length  of  time     22.  Diirm*'"  the  northward   iiiijrration,  as  hns 

of  iiugration.  '^  ^  ' 

been  stated,  the  last  ol"  the  body  or  herd  of  fur- 
seals  leave  the  North  Pacific  and  enter  Berinp- 
Sea  in  the  latter  part  oi'  June.  A  few  scattered 
individuals,  however,  are  seen  during  the  sum- 
nier  .it  various  points  along  the  Northwest  Coast; 
these  are  probably  seals  that  were  so  badly 
wounded  ')y  pelagic  sealers  that  they  could  n(tt 
travel  witii  the  rest  of  the  herd  to  the  Pribilof 

Accidental  Islands.     U  lias    been   alleged  that  young  fur- 
births  on  const.  °  JO 

seals  liave  l)een  found  in  early  summer  on 
several  occasions  along  the  coasts  of  British 
Columbia  and  southeastern  Alaska.  While  no 
authentic  cane  of  the  kind  has  come  to  oui- 
notice,  it  wouild  be  expectwl  from  the  large  num- 
ber of  cows  that  are  wounded  each  winter  and 
spring  along  tliese  coasts  and  are  thereby  ren- 
dered unable  to  reach  the  bre*^ding  rookeries 
and  must  perforce  give  birth  to  their  voung — 
perlia})s  prematurely — ^wherever  they  may  be  at 
the  time. 

23.  Thie  reason  the  Northern  fur-seal  inhabits 
the  Fribifef  Islands  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other 
islands  auidl  coasts  is  that  it  here  finds  the  climatic 
and  phv«caJ  conditions  necessary  to  its  life 
wants.  This  species  i-erpiires  a  uniforndy  low 
temperatire    and    overcjist    sk}-    and    a   foggy 


Reasons  that 
Priltilof  I.slands 
are  the  liome  of 
the  fur-seals. 


REPORT   OP    AMERICAN    COMMISSTONERS, 


331 


atiTif)S))here  to  iirevent  tlie  sun's  rays  from  injur-    n*  iisonH  that 

_  '  '  -'  •'  Pril.ilof      Isliiiuls 

inif  it  <larinf»-  the  long'  summer  season  when  it",""  Ji"'  ''"""■  »»*" 

"  o  o  tin,  hir-seals. 

remains  upon  tlie  rookeries.  It  requires  aUo 
rocky  beaches  on  wliicli  to  bring- forth  its  young. 
No  islands  to  the  imrthwarcl  or  southward  of  the 
I'ribihif  Ishmds,  with  the  possible  exception  of 
limited  areas  on  the  Aleutian  chain,  are  known  to 
j)Ossess  the  recpiisite  combination  of  climate  and 
])hysical  conditions. 

All  statenients  to  the  effect  that  fur-seals  of    Aiaskim  fur- 

sfiiU  do  nut  breed 

this  species  formerly  bred  on   the   coasts   aiul  jI^j.^J-V'''**  "'  *-^'*''" 
islands  of  California  and  Mexico  are  eiToneous, 
the  seak  remaining  there  belonging'  to  widely 
different  species. 

In  the  ffeneral  discussion  of  the  question  sub-    ^"'"livJaions  oi 
mitted  to  the  Commission  it  will  be  convenient 
io    consider    the    subject    under    three    heads, 
namely: 

Conditions  of  seal  life  in  the  region   under 

con >ei;l«^ ration  at  the  present  time. 
Causes,    the   operation    of   which    lead    to 

existing  (^onditiims. 
Remedies,  which  if  a])j)lied  would  result  in 
the  restoration  of  seal  life  to  its  normal 
state,  and  to  its  continued  preservation  in 
that  state. 


m-  - 


-ft*--,'  ;'.J 


■■v,:,:.t- 


.■■^'^>i-r> 


332 


REPORTS    OF    IJERtNG    SEA    COMMISSION. 


CONDITIONS. 


Sonrocs    oi    in 
Ibi'uiation. 


Pn'srnt  tondi-     In  coiisideriiiff  the  condition  of  seal  life  on  tlic 

tious. 

Pribilof  Islands  at  the  present  time,  it  is  imijor- 
tant  to  inquire,  first,  is  there  any  marked  deci-easc 
in  the  number  of  seals  freciuentino-  these  islands 
during  the  past  few  years;  and,  second,  if  sucli 
decrease  has  taken  ])la('e,  among-  what  class  or 
classes  of  seals  is  it  most  notable  ? 

Although  an  affirmative  answer  to  the  first 
(piestion  is  generally  agreed  to,  it  is  worth  while 
to  consider  for  a  moment  the  evidence  on  which 
such  an  opinion  is  founded,  especially  as  it  is  all 
more  or  less  related  to  questions  concerning  the 
amount  of  decrease  and  the  period  over  which  it 
extended,  about  which  considerable  differences 
of  opinion  arc  known  to  exist.  This  evidence 
easily  resolves  itself  into  two  kinds:  (1)  the 
evidence  of  eyewitnesses  or  human  testimony  in 
which  observations  of  several  individuals  cover 
the  last  (juarterof  a  century  ;  and  (2)  what  niav 
be  called  fhe  internal  evidence  of  the  rookeries 
themselves  as  tlu^v  appear  to-day 
EstiiiiMtos  of  It  is  proper  to  remark  that  in  our  judgment 
exaggLMiiteU.  most,  it  not  all,  ot  the  pubnslie<i  estnnates  of  tlie 
number  of  seals  hith(»rto  found  on  these  islands 
are  exaggerated.  From  the  very  natun^  of  tlie 
case  an  estimate  of  numbers  is  extremely  dilli- 


mmmm 


life  on  tile 
t  is  impoi- 
3d  decrease 
ese  islands 
k1,  if  sueli 
it  class  or 

0  the  first 
^ortli  while 
3  on  which 
as  it  is  ail 
arning-  the 
3r  which  it 
differences 
s  evidence 
:  (1)  the 
^timony  in 
lals  cover 
what  may 
rookeries 


LIBRARY 


"•^'^^ircHE^'^.S^ 


■A-t^- 


0^. 


i^ 


J' 


■S'»-'i 


mm 


'%i:< 


«)-"i 


M 


t".*'  >i 


judgment 
ates  of  tlu^ 
■s<'  islands 
wxi>  of  tlie 
iiel}'  diili- 


'>5^: 


'■^§1^1'-^, 


o  - 1 


o   ^ 


I-     : 


I     -  I 


UFl'oiri'    iM'     \^l'  i;l<    >.N    f'0\fM!SSlONF,RS. 


33a 


ijlt.      Ill   sliitrt,   <>iif   i'lin    -.I'     nitli   iiiiic]!    more     K.st :  nmf  en   of 

iiiiiiiIm-i      of    M:a)fS 

••ortsuiiTV   \\\i\t   tlicrr   hit    i. ■•■>.■<  r    ^.'iils    iicic    now  ''taggeiittwl. 
'u-m  live  ycurs  ii;i'o  tluui  lu  .  cmin   irtftiipl  ii  ciuu- 
.Kirisoi)    ])\    dicaiis   of  an   isrtiuil   or  nttlier  au 
Hi^simied  c.cnsii.s. 


(l)    i:VII)E.S(,"K  op    i:YEWITNf,8HK.«. 

The  unixt/rsjil  rt'siuiiony  of  ail  \\]\n  -n^i  the 
'■nok(M'!('S  i\  u-\\  \'Hari<  w<iu,  and  ajiTHii!  in  lS!Hi  m 
"/  1^91,  ix  that  th(  y  have  snil'frwi  a.  gi'imt  ami 
lilrirmiiifi"  (h'<-r(  asf  vvitliiu  tht^  past  sUc  or  seven 
yi-ai's.  in  the  ease  of  Northei-st  I'oiiit  llookery .  .^,),Vi,','"*t;' 'p'„i ,','" 
ihi"  largC'St  sinu'le  I'ookiM-y  kiinwu.  aur!  one '"""'^''''y' 
fr<Mvi  the  haiihtig-  otcuihK  nt  \' hich  ahvuit  tvi<ntv 
t't  thivtx -fnf'  thousand  'ujiiiiretdiiiji;'  inaie  i'nr- 
seals  were  Uk'-n  Hii!uu«ii\  i'or  tweutv  years, 
the  evidence  i^  ir:»  fjvnAoYa'i  ;«fti  ooiiehisl\e. 
Tills  great  rookery  U  .several  huUjh  in  length,  and 
its  t'ornitr  boinidavies  can  V»i-  di^iinetiy  neen,  as 
will  be  descrihed  in  detail  jm'sently.  (See  also 
acconijiaiiyinji-  photo^rajdi.)  The  area  oceiipit/d 
h\  hreediny  seals  in  lS!t1  was  ;*  narrow  .-itrip 
alonji;  shore,  with  ■»  small  -ir<;H  in  t.lio  rem  jw^tul 
as  'hauliiiiT  ffroxinds";  -vhd"  tiie  /ovn  of  fortri'er  ■  ' 
oeeiipaiu'v  varies  ft'. >n  n  v-  hiindre(^^  t*.  live  Visit  of  (>in 
hundred  feet  in  widtl  Mr.  (  •  M.  TiMvn»iend. 
residenl  natiirahst  of  d»e  I  nitf^d  Si,kte.»  Pish 
Conitnisslon  steamer  . I 'Vi,i/;v..v.v.  visited  Northeast 


■*^, 


uiiSBiouers. 


'«K!I 


i'i'  <F'' 


i"*^^«^^ 

m  -''m;'' 


v: -^ 


REPORT   OK    AMKRirAN    rOMMTSSTONKRS. 


333 


ml 


cult.     Ill  sln)it,  oiu>  can   sav   with  iiUK-li   more    Kstimates  of 

uiiinlter    of    seals 

certainty  that  tliere  are  fewer  seals  here  now  <'xaggerated. 
than  five  years  a*(o  than  he  could  attempt  a  com- 
})ari8on   by   means  of  an  actual   or  rather  an 
assumed  census. 


(l)    EVIDENCE  OF    EYEWITNESSES. 

The  universal  testimony  of  all  who  saw  the 
rookeries  a  few  years  ago,  and  again  in  1890  or 
or  1891,  is  that  they  have  suffered  a  great  and 
alarming  decrease  within  the  past  six  or  seven 
years.  In  the  case  of  Northeast  Point  Rookerv,  vwu!'L*t"  V."  i  ."V 
the  largest  single  rookery  known,  and  one  **""'"*'^^" 
from  the  hauling  grounds  of  which  about  twenty 
to  thirty -five  thousand  nonbreeding  male  fur- 
seals  were  taken  annually  for  twenty  years, 
the  evidence  is  unequivocal  and  conclusive. 
This  great  rookery  is  several  miles  in  length,  and 
its  former  boundaries  can  be  distinctly  seen,  as 
will  be  described  in  detail  presently.  (See  also 
accoin|)anying  photogTaph.)  The  area  occupied 
by  breeding  seals  in  1891  was  a  narrow  strip 
along  shore,  with  a  small  area  in  the  rear  u.sed 
as  'hauling  grounds';  while  the  sone  of  former 
occupancy    varies    from   one    hundred   to   five    visit  of  Com- 

missiouerH. 

hundred  feet  in  width.  Mr.  C.  H.  Townsend, 
i<>sidont  naturalist  of  the  United  States  Fish 
Commission  steamer  Albatross,  visited  Northeast 


^a  ■■  '■^: 


12'  ■Tit'J.-aiS'^ 


334 


REPORTS   OF   BERING   SEA    COMMISSION. 


Native  testi- 
mony US  to  de- 
crease. 


viHit  of  i'(.in-  Point  Rookery  in  company  with  the  British  aiul 

uiiHHioiicrs.  *       ./ 

United  States  Bering  Sea  Commissioners,  August 
5,  1891,  and  stated  that  when  lie  visited  tlie 
same  rookery  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  188r», 
the  broad  zone  here  referred  to  "was  covered 
solid  with  seals."  Lieut.  John  C.  Cantwell,  of 
the  Revenue  Steamer  Rmh,  Dr.  H.  H. 
Mclntyre,  Capt.  Daniel  Webster,  Mr.  J.  C. 
Redpath,  and  Mr.  George  R.  Tingel,  corroborate 
Mr.  Townsend's  statement  that  the  yellow-grass 
zone,  or  zone  of  former  occupancy,  was  densely 
covered  with  seals  in  1885. 

The  testimony  of  natives  and  others  in  regard 
to  other  rookeries  agrees  very  well  with  the  above, 
or  |)laces  the  time  of  abandonment  at  a  still  latt.' 
date,  some  of  the  natives  maintaining  that  the 
yellow-grass  zone  was  covered  with  seals  as 
recently  as  1887.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that 
the  extensive  area  here  described  as  the  yellow- 
grass  zone,  behind  the  narrow  strip  at  present 
occupied  by  the  seals  on  the  various  rookeries, 
was  thickly  covered  not  longer  ago  than  1885  or 
1886,  and  in  some  cases  perhaps  as  late  as  1887. 

In  our  examination  of  many  persons  who  had 
long  resided  upon  the  islands,  there  was  univer- 
sal agreement  that  there  had  been  a  great  decrease 
in  the  rmmber  of  seals  within  a  few  years. 
Although  the  testimony  gathered  by  us  on  this 


The    great    <le- 
rrease. 


y-    '^  r\  ^  a"— 

1  .   f>.?Ji- 


ritish  and 
3,  August 
sited  the 
ne,  ISSn, 
1  covered 
itwell,  of 
H.  H. 
[r.  J.  C. 
rroborate 
low-grass 
5  densely 


iu  regard 
tie  above, 
still  late.' 
that  the 
seals   as 
ore,  that 
yellow- 
present 
ookeries, 
1 1885  or 
as  1887. 
who  had 
;  univer- 
decrease 
V   years, 
on  this 


Wi 


.•■■*^,.-?< 


^,-<ifm 


-    ill 


uicroRp  (»F  .vMi;Kir'A\  commishionkiis. 


;i:5:> 


I 


jili'l  ntlicv  |»(viiit>  > -SIS'  iKit    ;^"i\iM»    iiutlcr    (tatli,    '\\>    'I'ln-    >;i<Mt    •If- 

ori'UHi'. 

\;ihic,  In  nur jii«l;;;!tu'iit,  i>  nor  in  tlir  Iciist  It'sscilt'd 

l)y  tliivl  i'act.      In    nearly    all   lascs   the   w  itnH««.*H 

wciv  (.'XMunin'tl  .■-■'jiaratcly.      No    'l<:nlin<4    'lucs- 

tions'   were   jsktil.  ami  ('S|>('cial  cau'   was  lak<'ii 

to    I  I'OA'oit    till'  (  xaniination  Irom   indicatii'ir  in 

any\VH\     wliai    \va»   ijc-^iicil  \n  l».-  ja'o'.cfl       1  nil 

notes  of  ans\sti.-.  and  >tatenu'ntN  ueiv  in.adi,  and 

n  all  case?*  oisjH'cial  iiii|ioi'1>in<a;  tin-  (jn«'  ion  was 

repealed  and  the  an.'^wti  wtiA  in  ordei-  to  i»(  snie 

(liat  tlie  opiiiirai  oj'  the  \\iliie>>  ii;id  liei  n  proper! V 

^'iven.      In  sjaa-i,  tie-  in^  estiu'iiff"n  \va>  roiului-rcd 

precisely  as  it  umdd  liavc  li((t   had  the 'piestion 

1)0011   one    ol    scien'ilic   ratliev    thaji    dlplomaii'' 

importani-e 

A  few  extnnt.s  front  the  evidence  r.-latin<r  t'>    '';'""'*". A""* 

"^         lont.iiuony  taken. 

(linunution  in  iunnl>»MK  will  indicate  its  ^'eneral 
'haracter. 

Anton  Mc/oii-ihiff',  native  of  the  i-land  (•»'  8l- 
Panl.  His  father  had  heen  clii<l  of  liu-  natives 
'•n  tin'  island,  an^l  he  h;id  se-i'ved  in  the  same 
'■apacity  until  receinlx ,  vvlien  he  had  been  de|K>,st.-d 
l)ecaiise,  as  he  hinw  If' expressed  it.  la-  \vi«<  "\\4>rk- 
in^-  in  the  interests  of  the  '"onipaip  mdif^r  than 
that  of  the  (Tovfrnnient." 

In  his  opinion  ihi  minilier  of  s.  hU  Ipk]  j^Toatly 
diminished  dnrinji  the  last  lew  yeais. 

Dr.  A.  A    Lilt:,  physician  on  {\\^i  island  (»f  St. 


"•^_  J; 


ij; 


m 


(A! 


^«^ 


-mm 

M 

r-  ■ 


•jK^- 


■':-^ 


S^^?;.)^ 


.■«»r>' 


.■*<" 


V)  ' 


■^irmi 


w 


H:='-'S 


■^JmJS.^^m^ 


Si-,,,[!; ,. :i^.: 


■IK, 


.;*^vf!i.'. 


m 


■?-■::  :  .t{'"--v 


■W'.S*i. 


KEI'OKT    OF    AMKKK'AN    roMMIHHiONKKH. 


a.^") 


V  ■i,y^._- 

;  *>•  ; 

■/:My 

i^  k-- 

>ki^'< 

.V'*-- 

."  r...'*'  ■ 

'i.  1 

i    '■' 

im.''> 

.f.  s.i  - 

V^w^  'T 

1,  '-'^ 

■Jf}f-r  * 

S^t-'j 

-4,, 

■f-i 

■ .  \fc'' "■ 

fe'  ^ 

Miul  otlu'V  points  Wiis  lutt  }»;ivi'n   uiidcr  until,   its    Tin-   nmftt   de- 

valiu',  in  ourjudg'ini'Ut,  is  not  in  tlu*  h'Mst  IcssiMicd 

by  tliat  fact.     In  nearly  all   casi's   the  witneses 

were  oxaiHined  separatel}'.      No    'Icadiii};'  (pu's- 

tions'   were  asked,  and  esj)e('ial  care  was  taken 

to  prevent  tlie  examination  from  indicating;  in 

anyway   wliat  was   <lesired  to  be  proved.     Fidl 

notes  of  answers  and  statements  were  made,  and 

ill  all  cases  of  special  imj)ortanc(*  the  question  was 

repeated  ami  the  answer  read  in  order  to  be  sure 

that  the  opinion  of  the  witness  had  been  properly 

j^iven.     In  short,  the  investigation  was  conducted 

precisely  as  it  would  have  been  liad  the  (juestion 

been  one   of  scientific  rather   thaji    diplomatic 

imnortance. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  evidence  relating-  to,  ''i^*'^"* ***„?"" 

r^         tfHtuiiuiiy  taken. 

diminution  in  nund)ers  Avill  indicate  its  general 
character. 

Anton  Mclovnlqf,  native  of  the  island  of  St« 
Paul.  His  father  had  been  chief  of  the  natives 
on  the  island,  and  he  had  served  in  the  same 
capacity  until  recentU",  when  he  had  been  dej)osed 
because,  as  he  himself  expressed  it,  he  was  "work- 
ing in  the  interests  of  the  Compan}'  rather  than 
tluit  of  the  Government." 

In  his  o})inion  the  number  of  seals  had  g-reatly 
diminished  ( 


mjr 


}• 


Dr.  A.  A    Liifx,  jjhysician  on  the  island  of  St. 


m 


':-  ■••? 


..-  --?%^ 


,$««* 


336 


RKTOUTK    OF    MEKTXO    SEA    rOOTRIIhSION. 


■>._.& 


)i^l;ifMfi 


ftl^ 


I 


\m;t:^ 

fi8 

'  \S  ^v'A 

tpl 

'^igiisiissr.; 

Sf?^'?-  i  ' "  -  H 

■•l'v^'^>.  : 

k  -..'' ■  1 

p:xtiiicts  from  ( Jeorji^'e  snjcc  !SS4:  '"TIkmv  luvs  been  a  grefit 
I'allin"'  oii"  lUiriiiUi'  the  i>«*Hr  tew  years." 

Mr.  EtMtuoiis.  coll^rTor  of  the  port  at  Uiia- 
laska:  ii'etb  his  iiit'ornuitioii  tvoiu  tlie  officers  and 
men  of  the  schooners  and  othei'  craft  enj^a|>e(l  in 
pelaizic  sealing:  tliinks  tliat  if  the  present  state 
of  affairs  is  allowed  to  continue  the  herd  of  seals 
will  soon  he  destroyed. 

Niroli  Kriikqf,  born  in  Sitka,  came  to  the 
island  of  St.  Paul  two  or  three  years  before  the 
time  of  the  Alaska  purchase:  is  now  second  chief 
on  the  island;  s))eaks  Kncrlish  very  well.  Seals 
beg'an  to  (decrease  in  number  about  seven  years 
aj:;*o  and  have  diminished  rapidly  since.  It  is  his 
opinion  that  not  more  than  one-fnurth  as  many 
seals  are  now  on  the  rookeries  as  were  to  be 
found  ten  years  ago. 

Kerrirk  Artomanoff,  aged  si>ct}'-seven  years, 
born  in  St.  Paui;  liis  father  was  a  sealer  under  the 
Russian  r^gimie,  as  was  he  also  up  to  the  time 
of  the  Alaska  purchase.  In  all  he  has  been  em- 
]iloyed  in  seal  killing  for  forty-five  }'ears.  His 
testimony  is  interpreted  by  Nicoli,  the  second 
chief 

The  nuiiilsyer  of  seals  has  diminished  very 
greatly  \>'tt}ii'n  the  last  few  years.  He  has  seen 
rhe  I'ookeries  S4»  full  that  ;;  cow  could  not  o'et 
jwhore  in  rime  for  the    birth   of  her  young,  in 


\t,l 


UEPOirr    OF    AMKKK'AN    COMMISSIONKRS. 


337 


eon  cin- 


Ikis  seen 


wliicli  ease   the  pup  was  l^orn  in  the  water  and    Kxdnrts   from 

testiiiioii.v  tiikou. 

(h'owi'ed. 

Mr.  J.  C.  lirdpafli,  resident  aj>-ent  of  tlie  Nortli 
Anieiicm  Connnereial  Company,  and  previ(»usly 
agent  of  the  xVlaska  Connnereial  Company  dur- 
in<^'  a  period  of  tifteen  years. 

My.  Hedj)ath  has  enjoyed  unusual  op})ortuni- 
ties  for  the  intelligent  study  of  seal  life.  That 
lie  has  made  good  use  of  their,  ?'ia}'  be  attributed 
to  the  fact  that  the  best  interests  of  the  {*<nnj)a- 
nies  which  he  has  rejn'esented  on  the  islands 
demanded  that  no  one  should  be  better  informed 
than  he,  esj)c('iallv  in  the  matter  of  increase  or 
decrease  in  the  nund^er  of  killable  Seals  and  the 
causes  to  which  chang-es  are  to  be  attributed. 

Jle  said:  "Not  more  than  one-half  as  many 
females  are  on  the  rookeries  tliis  }  ear  as  were 
to  be  found  there  ten  years  a<^o.  There  is  the 
same  loss  in  the  holluschikie,  about." 

Cdpia'ui  Webster.!  aji'ent  of  the  North  American 
Coirnnercial  Com[)any  o\\  the  island  of  St. 
Georjjce,  has  1»ein  on  the  seal  islands  for  twenty- 
two  \ears;  was  a  whaler  and  sealer  in  these 
wate:,  before  coming- to  the  islands;  has  ])een  in 
the  employ  of  the  sealing  companies  from  the 
lieuinniu"-  of  the  manajiement  \)\  \\w  United 
States.  Captain  Webster  had  a  wide  experience 
as  a  sealer   in  other  parts  of  the   world  before 


in'  lii 


T    Hi  „:'■'' •m'! 


2710- 


-43 


338 


RKIH)RTS    OF    BEKING    8P:A    COMAflSSlON. 


t",  tr 


ExtiiutH   fromeiiteriiiji'    the     service  of    the    Alaska    Soaliiio 

tfstiuiouy  taken.  ^  " 

ConiiJciiiy.  Few  jjersons  liave  us  inucli  kiiowl- 
edg-e  of  seals  aiul  tiie  sealing'  industry  as  he. 
His  statement  was  tJiat  tlie  fallinj:*'  off  last 
year  at  St.  Ge<»r<j;'e  was  xwy  <^i-e:it,  and  this 
year  the  nuniher  is  ('((nsiderably  less  than  last. 
"  'I'liere  ai'e  not  over  one-thii'd  as  many  seals  on 
this  island  as  were  here  a  few  vears  ajfo." 
Diniciiity  ocics-      Kvidencvi  of  this  character  niin-ht  be  mnltinlicd 

SffS        to  (>l)t!llll  '  • 

'!"**•*•  to  almost  any  extent  were  it  thought  necessarx'. 

It  is  well  known  that  during-  the  last  few  years 
the  operatingC'omjjany  had  exi)erien('e<l  ditHcult\' 
in  tindiiig-  a  sutticient  lunnhei"  of  high-class  skins 
to  till  the  (juota  permitted  by  the  Government, 
and  that  finally  that  (juota  was  greatly  reduceil 
by  order  of  the  re])resentatives  of  the  Govern- 
Uii«iis)mt.(i  «ie-  ,,i(j,it  yn  f]jy  islands.    It  may  therefore  be  accjented 

as  an  undisputed  fact  that  the  seal  population  of 
the  islands  is  greatly  below  what  it  was  for  many 
years  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  if  tlie  causes 
which  brought  about  this  reduction  are  jjermltted 
to  continue  in  operation,  connnercial  extinction  of 
the  herd  within  a  few  years  will  be  the  inevi- 
table result. 

But,  fortunately,  we  are  not  obliged  to  accept 
this  conclusion  solelv  on  the  basis  of  such  testi- 
mony as  that  jjiven  above,  reliable  and  convinc- 


JH 

tp'^  •¥ 

» 

If'i    .' 

m 

K 

iM 

Bh 

m'yQ 

B^B 

in 


KEPORT    OF    AMERICA'^    COMMISSIONERS. 


339 


iiiff  as  it  is  believed  to  be.     T!ie  ovi<leiu'e  offered    UmiiHiiuted  tie- 
by  tlie  pliysical  condition  of  the  rookeries  them- 
selves wonld  alone  be  suflicieut  to  satisfy  '">.y- 
one  that  at  some  previous  time  the  seal  popula- 
tion had  been  vastly  greater  than  at  present. 

(ll)    INTRINSIC    EVII>HN(;K    AFFORDED  BY  THE  ROOK- 
ERIES   THEMSELVES. 

l^ehind  each  rookery  is  a  more  or  less  sharpl>- ^J,^^;'^''""^^^"^'* 
defined  stri})  or  belt  viirying  from  one  hundred  to 
five  Imndred  feet  in  width,  which  diil'ers  conspic- 
uously In  appearance  from  the  ground  on  either 
side.  It  is  covered  with  a  short  and  rather  fine 
grass  of  a  yellowish-green  color  {(ilifrcria  utif/us- 
f((t(i),  more  or  less  mixed  with  tufts  of  a  coarser 
species  (l)vschampsia  ((rsjtifofia),  both  differing 
strikingly  from  the  tall  and  I'ank  rye  grass 
(/'JI_!/iiiH.s  moms')  usually  growing  inunediately 
behind.  In  many  [)la(  es  the  ground  between 
the  tustsocks  and  hummocks  of  grass  is  covered 
with  a  thin  layer  of  felling,  composed  of  tiie  shed 
hairs  of  the  seals  matted  down  and  mixed  with 
excreiuent,  urine,  and  surface  soil.  This  felting 
could  not  have  been  formed  otherwise  thiui  by 
the  movements  (4'  seals  back  and  forth  over  the 
ground  for  many  years.      In  the  same   zone  the 

WdiK  rocks. 

rough  upj)er  surfaces  and  angular  projection  of 
the  rocks  have  been  rounded  off  nnd  ixdislicd  l)v 


miHi  f' 


.(«?■" 


v'-ii':| 


fwvi-; 


■  s 

■i 


»\i 


^^InMJ 

r 

MMm 

|; 

|i 

!:rs 


!■!* 


:^SkS 


SiH'l 


^Jf**^'l 


-4 


^'l.i! 


340 

Woni  rocks 


REPOUTS   OF    BERING   SKA   COMMISSION. 


zoue, 


tlio  former  movements  of  the  seuls.  Tin's  pol- 
isliin<>',  tlumyli  now  partly  hidden  by  weatlierinj^- 
and  the  {i^i'owth  of  lichens,  is  still  conspicuous, 
and  can  be  attributed  to  no  other  cause  than  to 
tlu^  movements  of  the  seals  on  the  rookeries 
durino-  a  long-  period  of  years.  The  fact  that  tlu^ 
sides  of  these  same  rocks  remain  in  their  orij^inal 
rough  condition  is  sufHcient  proof  that  the 
smooth  upper  surfaces  c<juld  not  have  been  pro- 
duced by  sand-polish. 

Bn  11  cb -grass  In  some  of  the  rookeries  another  zone  may  be 
discerned  behind  t'le  yellow-grass  zone,  in<li- 
cating  the  extent  of  the  rookery  at  some  still 
more  remote  period.  '^^I'he  g-rass  on  this  area  is 
bunch  grass  (^J)esrlnufipsia  coispitosii) ;  the  lichen 
growth  on  the  rocks  is  heavier  than  on  the  one  just 
described,  and  the  polished  sui'faces  of  the  rocks 
show  more  Nveath<M'ing.  "^Phis  latter  zone  abuts 
against  the  more  elevated  turf  V)earing-  the  char- 
acteristic tall  grass  oi  the  islands,  and  marks  the 
period  of  maxinuun  abmuhnice  of  the  seals. 

Coni]iariii  ivc  'he  ag'g'regate  size  of  the  areas  formerly  occu- 
pied  is  at  least  four  times  as  great  as  that  of  the 
])resent  rookeries. 

Dewase  simwn      In  short,  the  characteristics  of  a  reg'ion  long 

by  rookeries.  i       i  *      I 

occupied  by  seals  are  so  marke<l  as  to  be  unmis- 
takable, and  while  it  is  possible  to  explain  tlic 
existence    of  a    small    part    (kf   the    uiioccupied 


■■•,1 .  ■  •>«»'' 


REPORT    OF    AMKRICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


341 


erroiind  on  tlie  su])])osition  tliat  the  seals  'rove'    rx-croiiRo  siiown 

'  ^  by  rookt'iics. 

nuu'e  or  less,  occupying'  this  lieid  at  one  time 
and  tliat  at  another,  no  one  who  studies  the 
islands  as  they  now  are  can  fail  to  see  that  the 
si)ace  now  covered  by  seals  is  only  a  frinj^e 
compared  with  the  areas  that  were  ouce  alive 
with  them. 

Havinof-  answered  the  first  of  the  two  queries  .  necroase  is  in 

"^  '■  Icniiile  [JortioD  of 

relating:  to  conditions  of  seal  life  at  the  present '"^'■'^* 
time,  the  second  becomes  im})ortant.  It  is, 
Has  the  decrease  in  nund)ers  l)een  confined  to 
any  particular  class  of  seals,  or  is  it  most  notable 
in  any  class  or  classes  f  In  answer  to  this  it  is 
(mr  opinion  that  the  diminution  in  munbcvs 
began  and  continues  to  be  most  notaVde  in 
female  seals. 

It  is  quite  likely,  in  fact  almost  certain,  tha^    Difficult  to  no- 
the  decrease  would  not   he  nrst  discovered  oriemuies. 
remarked  in  this  class. 

The  Government  officers  and  Company's 
ag'ents  on  the  islands  are  priuci})ally  concerned 
with  the  'holluschickie,'  in  which  class  tlic  kill- 
alxle  seals  are  found,  and  the  first  sjons  of  deca- 
dence would  j)rol)al)ly  ai)|)ear  in  the  fact  that 
more  «eals  had  to  be  driven  in  order  t(t  obtain  a 
liiven  number  of  merchantable  skins. 


■'V  M 


m 


•I 


•^M 


342 


REPORTS    OF    IU:KING    SEA   COMMISSION. 


w     sj     ■'!  ,y  r 

mi': 


"if 


",*■■'.:- 


LJ  ■:..  ...I-. 


-U 


DifflciiUy  in  (.1)-      For  eioliteeii  years  after  tlio  Alaska  purchase 

taiiiiii";  (iiiutaultfr  o  ^  i 


ixai. 


Mistiiliing  fffiri 

I'll  I'  CUUKC 


about  one  hundred  thousand  ])a('heh)r  seals  were 
secured  annually  without  dirticulty  and  without 
impairing-  the  productiveness  of  the  breedin}^' 
rookeries,  but  the  decrease  brought  about  1)\- 
pelagic  sealing  made  it  extremely  dithcult  to 
ol)tain  this  number  after  1S87,  and  the  standard 
of  size  was  lowered  several  times  in  onU^-  to 
obtain  the  full  (piota.  In  1890  the  rookeries 
and  hauling  grounds  had  fallen  off  to  such  an 
alarming  extent  that  the  Treasury  agent  in 
charge  ordered  the  killing  to  stop  on  July  20, 
at  which  date  onh'  twenty-one  thousand  seals 
l»»d  been  secinvd,  and  it  may  be  aihled  that  this 
wunber  was  taken  only  after  the  greatest  exer- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Company's  agents. 

^riie  [)ercentage  of  seals  of  killable  size  was  so 
small  (fifteen  to  twenty  percent)  compared  with 
the  percentage  of  yearlings,  that  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  Treasury  agents  on  the  islands 
were  impressed  with  the  scarcity  of  yoimg 
males,  and  being  new  men,  inexpenenced  in 
matters  relating  to  seal  life,  were  easily  led  to 
mistake  r(f'ect  for  cause  and  attributed  the 
deci'ease  to  the  killing  of  too  many  young  males 
at  the  islands  in  j)revious  years,  instead  of  t<» 
the   destruction  of  the   mothers  and  young  bs 


HKPORT   OF    AMKIJIf'AX    COMMISSIONKHS. 


343 


l)('l}>j>-ic  scaloi's,  an  error  tlioy  "vvere  quick  to  cor-    MistakinK  rffevt 

for  vnime. 

roct  after  aiiotiier  year's  experience. 

The  number  of  seals  killed  each  day  (lurinjr,,^^;;;;"~  ,^^^^^^^^^ 
the  killin<4'  season  may  be  taken  as  a  rough  index 
to  the  ra})idity  of  the  decline  of  the  rookeries  iu 
the  past  few  years,  '^^l^reasury  Agent  Charles  J. 
Goff,  in  ('liarge  of  the  seal  islands  in  18,Si)-'9(), 
states  in  liis  official  report  that  the  average  daily 
killing  in  1  SiM)  was  five  hundred  and  twenty-tw(>, 
wliile  in  1881)  it  was  one  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  seventy-four  for  the  same  ))eriod. 

In  his  report  for  1889  Treasury  Aovnt  Goff    Koix.rt  <.fTn-ii8- 

'  _  .  ury  Aj-uiit  tiort'. 

states:  "I'he  alarming  decrease  in  the  daily, 
weekly,  and  monthly  receipts  of  [skins  by]  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  and  as  a  dernier 
resort  by  said  Company  to  secure  their  one  hun- 
dred thousand  skins,  the  killing  of  smaller  seals 
than  was  customary  attest  conclusiveh' that  .  .  . 
there  is  a  scarcity  of  seals,  and  that  within  the 
last  year  or  so  they  are  from  some  cause  decreas- 
ing far  beyond  the  increase."  He  states  further: 
"I  regard  it  absolutely  essential,  for  the  future  of 
the  rookeries,  that  prompt  action  be  taken  by  the 
D(!i)artment  for  the  supi)ression  of  illegal  kMling 
of  seals  in  Bering  Sea,  and  that  the  utmost  econ- 
omy be  observed  hi  taking  the  seals  allowed  by 
law." 


%\ 


■j-'i .  ■;■■ 


:.:'^'i 


't-j'i 


.^i.^  M 


■11 


.     -ui] 


I'M 


3U 


KKl'OKTS    OK    IJKKING    SKA    COMMISSION. 


WliyilcpreaHi'  of 
tViniilt's  wiiH  not 
noticed. 


Diniiiiinhc<l  size 
of  hart'ius. 


Kffoct    n" 
creiisi    of   I 
ou  male  life. 


<le- 

ilcs 


A  considerable  decrease  in  tlie  iiuirdjer  of 
female  seals  U})on  the  breeding-  rookeries  might 
not  be  notice*]  at  first  where  the  total  number  is  so 
larg-e,  but  in  two  or  three  years  the  effect  of  this 
loss  would  l)e  felt  in  the  class  of  killable  seals, 
and  mig-ht  there  be  quite  evident.  The  loss  in 
one  class  would  thus  follow  surely  but  some- 
what behind  the  other  in  time.  When  the  dimi- 
nution in  the  numl)er  of  killable  seals  became 
notable,  attention  was  at  once  drawn  to  the 
breeding  rookeries,  and  it  was  found  that  they 
were  bein<^  dejdeted.  Thus  Captain  Webster  de- 
clared: "The  j^reat  destruction  has  been  among 
females.  Formerly  there  would  be,  on  an  aver- 
age, thirty  cows  to  one  bull;  now  they  will  not 
average  fifteen." 

And  Mr.  Kedpath  (already  quoted)  stated: 
"Not  more  than  one-half  as  many  females  are 
on  the  rookeries  this  year  as  were  found  there 
ten  years  ago." 

The  reaction  of  a  considerable  reduction  in  the 
lunrdjer  of  females  upon  the  number  of  young 
male  seals  would  be  immediate  and  certain,  while 
a  reduction  in  males  must  reach  such  a  point  as 
to  lessen  the  supply  of  bulls  for  the  brecv'iiiig 
rookeries  before  the  birth-rate  can  be  affected. 
Tliore  is  no  evichnice  to  show  that  this  limit  has 
been  reached  in  recent  years,  and  it  seems  clear. 


f^-% 


m 


RKPOUT    OF    AMKIIICAN    COMMISKIONKRS. 


345 


tlieivfore,  tlint  tlie  reduction  in  nunil)ors  orioi-    va)W\   of  de- 

rrciiso  of   ft'inaloB 

nnted  in  and  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  loss  ol »"«»"'" '''o- 
female  seals. 

CAUSES. 

If  tlie  above  representation  of  the  coHdifions  of    wiino  drnniiso 

of  HciilM  slioiilil  l>e 

seal  life  at  the  jn-esent  time  be  accepted  as  correct,  «""Ki»t- 
the  determination  of  rauses  is  practically  limited 
to  tlie  discovery  of  the  origin  of  the  increased 
mortality  amono-  female  seals. 

It  is  our  l)eli«ef  that  the  dec^adence  of  seal  life    canHo,    juiagio 

Bctiliiig. 

on  the  Pribilof  Islands  is  due  to  the  destructive 
effects  oi'  jielagic  sealing. 

As  widely  different  opinions  are  held  on  this    f^nsous    for 

*'  '  o]iiiiioii. 

point  we  will  present  at  some  length  the  })rincipal 
reasons  upon  which  our  belief  is  founded. 

In  the  joint  reiwrt  of  the  Connnission  it  is    nicrcdSL-  canseii 

"^  '■  by  iiinii. 

agreed  that  the  diminution  in  the  nund)er  of 
seals  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  operations  of  man. 
As  man  comes  in  contact  with  the  fur-seal  in 
only  two  ways,that  is,  in  pelagic  sealing  and  seal- 
ing upon  the  islands,  it  follows  that  in  one  or  the 
other  or  in  both  of  these  operations  the  injury 
must  be  inflicted. 

In  order  to  enjoy  a  clearer  view  of  the  problem    coiHiition     of 

.  •If  1      herdmiUmclieilby 

it  Will  he  (lesu'ahle  to  consider  tor  a  moment  the  man. 
conditions  under  which  a  herd  of  seals  assumes 
its  normal  dimensions,  uiuiifluenced  by  the  pres- 
ence of  man. 

271G 44 


j,  l.p 


i  :''f^. 


'■IHtf 


-U^ 


,i 


.4' J 


346 


Hirth-rati^ 
duath-riite. 


REPORTS   OF    HERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 

and  111  tli(^  case  ot"  the  soul  or  any  other  {iiiiinal  tlic 
(•oiKlitiou  of  tlie  species  as  tt>  number  must  alwa}s 
depend  upon  the  relation  of  the  birthrate  to  the 
deathrate.  As  U>n<(  as  these  two  are  ecpial  tlie 
number  remains  constant,  jirovided,  of  course,  the 
distribution  of  deaths  anionjr  the  various  a«»es 
remains  the  same.  Chanj^e  the  distribution,  and 
there  will  be  a  temporary  increase  or  decrease  in 
the  total  number  of  the  species,  according'  as  the 
deaths  are  shifted  toward  the  lattsr  or  earlier 
part  of  the  animal's  existence.  Hius,  suppose 
twenty  years  to  bo  the  normal  ag-e  of  the  seal: 
if  all  deaths  occur  at  the  end  of  twenty  years, 
the  total  number  alive  at  any  one  time  would  be 
much  greater  than  if  the  mortality  was  distrib- 
uted throughout  the  whole  ])eriod.  When  a  cer- 
tain distribution  of  this  mortality  is  determined 
upon,  however,  the  number  of  individuals  living 
at  one  time  will  adjust  itself  to  this  distributiitn 
and  will  then  remain  constant,  provided,  always, 
that  the  distribution  of  mortality  is  such  as  iKtt 
to  affect  the  number  of  births.  If,  in  any  species, 
it  could  be  determined  that  no  deaths  should 
occur  until  sometime  after  the  reproductive  age 
had  been  reached,  such  a  species  would  increase 
with  great  rapidity.  With  ecjual  certainty,  if  it 
were  fixed  that  all  deaths  should  occur  before  the 
rei)roductive  age,  the  species  would  be  shortly 


REPORT    OP    AMKKICAN    rOMMISSIONKRS. 


347 


aniiiliilatefl ;  }iii(l  if  mon^  than  a  ccrtiiiu  imiiilx'r    Hiith-nit*^    mui 

<luuth-ruto. 

of  deaths  occur  at  tliat  early  j)erio(l,  tlie  destruc- 
tion of  tlie  species  is  only  a  ([uestion  of  time. 
Given,  therefore,  a  species  comprising*  a  certain 
number  of  individuals,  that  nund)er  will  tend 
uj)ward  or  downward  or  will  remain  constant, 
according"  to  the  relation  of  births  to  deaths.  In 
nature,  where  the  conditions  for  a  certain  species 
are  favorable,  the  usual  course  is  that  the  num- 
bers increase  until  by  the  increase  of  their  nat- 
ural enemies,  or  the  less  favorable  character  of 
the  conditions  (usually  less  favorable  by  reason 
of  insufticient  food  suppl}-  resulting  from  increase 
in  nund)ers),  the  birthrate  and  deathrate  become 
efpial,  after  which  the  number  will  remain  con- 
stant until  some  new  influence  makes  its  appear- 
ance to  affect  them  favorably  or  unfavorably. 
This  is  the  conditii^m  which  the  seals  would 
unqnestionably  reach  in  time,  if  not  interfered 
with  by  man,  and  which,  undoubt(idly,  they 
have  reached  at  various  times  in  their  history. 
Under  this  condition  certain  nund)ers  of  seals  are 
born  every  year  and  the  same  number  die  every 
^ear,  the  total  number  alive  at  any  one  time 
depending-  on  the  distribution  of  the  deaths 
among-  seals  of  various  ages. 


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23  WEST  MMl^;  5TRFrT 

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348 


REPORTS   OP   BERING   SEA    COMMISSION. 


17efi;n1ation 
killiug. 


Interf  ereiioe 
with  liirtli-ruteiii- 
jui'iouM. 


Effert  of  a  Hin- 
gle  yuiiug  a  ytmr. 


"t     Now,  let  man  enter  upon  the  scene,  and  let  liim 
II- 

''•  <le8troy  annually  a  certain  number  of  seals.  The 
deathrate  is  not  necessarily  increased,  the  tinui 
of  dying  only  may  be  changed,  seals  being  killed 
at  iLo  age  of  four  yeai-s  which  would  otherwise 
have  lived  to  the  age  of  fifteen  or  twenty.  Tlie 
total  number  of  seals  living  at  one  time  may  be 
much  reduced  while  the  number  of  births  may 
remain  the  same. 

of  If  man  is  benefited  by  killing  seals,  in  order 
that  his  gain  may  be  as  great  as  possible,  it  is 
evidently  important  to  so  conduct  the  killing 
that  the  dimensions  of  the  herd  may  be  main- 
tained at  a  maximum.  The  larger  the  herd  the 
more  he  can  take  annually  for  his  own  uses. 
This  maximum  number  is  secured,  and  is  secured 
only  by  bringing  to  and  maintaining  the  number 
of  births  per  annum  at  the  highest  possible  limit. 
We  have  gone  thus  into  the  details  of  this 
argument  in  order  that  there  might  remain  no 
doubt  as  to  its  efiect,  and  to  emphasize  the 
simple  but  most  important  proposition  that  ichat 
ever  interferes  with  the  birth-rate  is  injurious  to  the 

seal  herd. 

It  may  be  well  at  this  point  to  invite  attention 

to  the  fact  that  the  fur-seal  as  a  species  is  very 

sensitive  to  influences  which  tend  to<listurb  the 

balance    between    births    and  deaths.     Unlike 


REPORT   OP   AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


349 


many  animals,  the  number  of  off8i)rinff  thrown    Eflfwiofn  single 

•'  i        o  young  u  year. 

upon  the  world  to  take  tlieir  chance  in  the 
struggle  for  existence  is  small,  each  fertile 
animal  giving  birth  to  only  a  single  young  each 
year. 

The  life  of  the  seal  herd,  then,  depending  as  it    How  i.irth-rate 

may   bo   leMHttued. 

unquestionably  does  on  the  constancy  of  the 
number  of  births,  can  be  endangered  from  two 
directions:  First,  from  the  killing  of  fertile 
females ;  and,  second,  from  the  excessive  killing 
of  males,  carried  to  such  an  extent  as  to  prevent 
the  presence  of  the  necessary  number  of  virile 
males  on  the  breeding  rookeries.  To  one  or  the 
other  of  these  causes  must  be  charged  the  great 
change  that  has  come  upon  the  rookeries  within 
recent  years,  and  the  commercial  destruction 
with  which  the  sealing  industry  is  now  seri- 
ousl}  threatened. 

We  are  firmly  of  the  opinion  that  an  impartial.  Killing    a  cer- 

•'  »  *  tain     niinibt'i-     ol 

examination  of  all  the  facts  in  the  case  will  sh()w  "!;?'''? , .))!',",  ""* 
conclusively  that  the  latter  of  the  two  possible 
causes  has  had  no  appreciable  part  in  the  de- 
stnictive  work  that  has  been  accomplished. 

The  polygamous  habits  of  the  fur-seal  have    Rntt les  on  rook- 

*•       •'  "^  erit'H  sliow  no  lack 

already  been  described,  as  well  as  the  separation "*  ">»'•'»• 
inhauhngout  of  the  'hoUuschickie'  or  younger 
males  from  the  breeding  rookeries.     The  bjittles 
among  the  older  males  for  places  upon  the  breed- 


ii 
I 


^-1 


II 


350 


7JEP0RTS    OF    liKltlNd    SEA    fUMMI.SSION. 


Hatties  oil  rook-  inu-  irrouiuls  litive  \oiig  beeu  described  as  one  of 

cries  hUow  no  luck 

ofinuiea.  the   peculiar  cliaracteristics  of  the  Hpecies.     A 

younger  male  is  obliged  to  win  his  right  to  a 
harem  bv  conflict  with  his  older  brethren  already 
in  possession.  Many  tlumsands  of  virile  young 
males  lie  at  a  convenient  distance  on  the  haulin<>- 
grounds,  ready  to  engage  in  a  struggle  for  a 
place  in  the  affections  of  the  female  seal  should 
a  tav(M*able  opportunity  occur. 

Notwithstanding  the  depleted  condition  of  the 
rookeries,  these  conflicts  and  struggles  still  go  on. 
They  went  on  last  year  and  also  in  1890.  This 
condition  of  things  is  utterly  incompatible  with 
any  theory  which  assumes  a  scarcity  of  virile 
Testiinotiy  ns  to  males.     The  evidence  of  the  most  reliable  and 

no  lack  oJ  liitiU's.  i.i  i        i  i  i  . 

credible  observers  goes  to  prove  the  same  tinng. 
Mr.  Redpath  and  Captain  Webster  have  already 
been  quoted  r  s  declaring  that  it  is  among  female 
seals  that  the  great  scarcity  exists,  but  it  is  worth 
while  here  to  repeat  the  statement  of  the  latter, 
that  "formerly  there  would  be  on  an  average 
thirty  cows  to  one  bull;  now  they  will  not  aver- 
age fifteen."  Several  of  the  native  observers 
placed  the  number  of  cows  fonnerly  served  by 
one  bull  at  a  much  higher  figure  than  thirty. 
These  facts  rather  tend  to  show  that  males  are 
relatively  in  excess  on  the  breeding  rookeries 
at   the    present    time.     Our    own   observations 


REPORT   OF   AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


351 


Nntnrnl  coiiili. 
tiuii  4)1'  herd. 


convinced  us  tliat   at   least   there  could  be  no    Testimony  m  to 

no  lack  of  uiules. 

deficiency  and  that  it  was  a  practical  impossi- 
bility foi*  any  breeding  cow  to  escape  service 
on  account  of  paucity  of  virile  males. 

The  unavoidable  ctmclusion  is,  then,  that  the    r»<<r.>ii8e <an.s.«i 

by  killin<;lcui:ili'.s. 

deterioration  of  the  herd  umst  be  attributed  to 
the  destruction  of  female  seals. 

If  a  herd  of  seals  be  taken  in  its  natural  con- 
dition, that  is,  as  not  interfered  with  by  man, 
males  and  females  will  be  found  practically  equal 
in  number,  as  the  number  of  births  in  a  year  of 
both  sexes  is  the  same,  and  we  have  no  reason 
to  believe  there  is  any  great  difference  in  the 
naturtU  mortality  of  the  sexes.  The  total  num- 
ber of  females  may  be  divided  into  two  classes,    f'laHses  of  fo- 

''  '  males. 

the  breeding  and  the  nonbreeding,  the  former 
being  probably  a  large  proportion  of  the  whole. 
The  nonbi*eeding  females  include  those  that  have 
not  yet  reached  the  reproductive  age  and  tlie  few 
which  from  old  age  or  other  causes  are  bairen. 

The  male  seals  may  likewise  be  divided  into  classes  of  males. 
two  classes,  the  virile  and  the  nonvirile,  the  lat- 
ter including  those  below  the  age  of  virility  and 
those  impotent  on  account  of  old  age.  The 
reproductive  power  of  the  herd,  therefore,  lies  in 
the  breeding  females  and  the  virile  males.     The 

maintenance  of  the  birthrate,  the  vital  and  esseii-    On  what  birth- 
rate depends. 

tial  element  in  the  preservation  and  jierpetuation 


I 


'':^f^ 


■n 


352 


REPORTS   OF    BKKING   SEA   COMMISSION. 


diugraniH. 


On  what  birth- of  the  liei'd,  requires  the  preservatioii  of  the  ivhofr 

rutv  ilupeiida. 

of  the  class  of  breeding  females,  while  only  a 
small  number  of  virile  males  are  necessaiy  or  at 
all  concerned  in  the  matter. 

This  is  the  great  essential  difference  between 
the  importance  of  the  life  of  the  female  and  that 
of  the  male  to  the  conservation  of  the  herd,  and 
it  is  the  fundamental  i)roposition  on  which  hangs 
the  solution  of  the  whole  problem. 
Explanation  <.f  We  have  ventured  to  illustrate  this  by  means 
of  a  grai)hic  exhibition  of  a  hypothetical  herd  of 
eighty  thousand  seals,  in  tne  accompanying  dia- 
grams, in  which  the  effect  of  killing  males  is 
shown  to  be  harmless,  if  kept  within  certain 
limits.  In  these  diagrams  the  age  of  the  seals  is 
shown  on  the  horizontal  line  at  tlie  base  of  the 
figure  and  the  number  of  seals  at  any  given  age 
is  proportional  to  the  length  of  the  vertical  line 
on  the  diagram  at  the  point  representing  the  age. 
Unfortunately  we  have  no  'tables  of  mortality' 
for  seals;  we  know  only  approximately  their 
maximum  age  and  we  have  little  knowledge  as 
to  the  distribution  of  their  deathrate.  Based  on 
the  best  biformation  available,  we  have  assumed 
the  nonnal  age  lo  be  twenty  years,  and,  to  be  on 
the  safe  side,  have  further  assumed  that  one-halt 
of  the  seals  born  die  during  the  first  year  after 
birth.     The  outer  curve  of  the  diagram,  showing 


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^m 


RKrOUT    OF    AMKUK'AN    COMMISSIONERS. 


3r.a 


the  (listrihution  of  a^es  from  this  time  on  pro-    Kxpiunjition  of 

diagruuis. 

tends  only  to  be  an  a})i>roxiniation,  as  it  is  impos- 
sible to  obtain  the  accnrate  information  necessary 
tor  a  better  representation  We  maintain,  how- 
ever, that  the  fullest  knowledge  would  neeessitato 
no  ehani^-e  which  would  materially  affect  the 
toive  of  our  argument  based  on  these  diaj^rams. 

The  lon<?est  vertical  line  at  the  left  represents 
tlie  number  of  births  annually,  which,  for  con- 
\  enience,  is  assumed  to  be  ten  thousand  of  each 
sex.  At  the  end  of  one  }ear  the  vertical  line  is 
reduced  one-half  in  lenj^th,  as  half  the  seals  bom 
the  year  Ijefore  are  assumed  to  be  dead.  At  the 
end  of  the  second  }'ear  it  is  still  further  short- 
t  lied,  and  so  on  until  the  end  of  the  twentieth 
vear.  There  can  thus  be  traced  the  history  of  a 
j;i'oup  of  ten  thousand  seals  from  birth  to  final 
extinction,  the  area  bounded  by  lines  vertical  at 
the  beginnin},^  and  end  of  any  year  showin/j^  the 
imiiiber  alive  at  any  age,  as  between  ten  and 
ele\en  years  of  age,  and  the  total  area  of  the 
diagram  is  proportional  to  the  total  number  of 
seals  in  the  herd. 

Diagrams  A  and  B  represent  the  males  and 
tV'Miales  of  such  a  herd  in  its  natural  condition, 
tluit  is,  not  interfered  with  by  man.  It  is  in  a 
condition  of  practical  stability,  the  males  and 
i'eiuaies  are  equal  in  number,  and  the  diagratns 
are  identical,  except  as  to  the  coloring  of  the 
2710 45 

i 


:t,  , 


s  :': " 


354 


RKPOHTS   OF    MEKING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


r 


B 


Iff 


i 


^•V 


Exi.isuiation  of  ,|iffy,.(»jif  i>artfs,  bv  iiieaiis  of  whicli  it  is  attoniptcd 

uiiignims.  I  '     ^  I 

to  rejn'esent  the  miinbors  of  tlio  (lifforeiit  classes 
of  senls.  We  cnn  fix  the  ages  for  'killiihle 
seals'  with  certainty,  and  all  included  under  that 
liead  are  represented  in  the  diagram  by  that 
portion  colored  red  Male  seals  not  killable  and 
not  old  enough  to  take  a  place  on  the  breeding- 
rookeries  are  shown  in  green,  while  those  of  tlic 
breeding  age  are  shown  in  yellow.  The  lines  ot 
demarcation  up  to  this  point  are  quite  accuratch 
known  and  the  diagram  m.ay  be  regarded  as 
correct,  but  we  do  not  know  certainly  at  wliar 
age  the  male  become?  impotent  and  is  driven  ofl' 
the  rookery.  The  best  estimate  based  on 
anal(>gies  of  other  animals,  places  this  period  ar 
about  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  and  the  dia- 
gram HO  rei)resents  it. 

In  the  (dassilication  of  female  seals  there  is 
some  diflliculty,  for  while  we  are  tolerably  certain 
that  the  young  female  goes  on  the  bnMMliiiu 
rookeries  at  least  at  the  age  of  three  years,  we 
know  little  about  the  age  at  which  she  becomes 
barren.  The  assumption  that  this  ])eriod  is 
reached,  on  the  average,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
3'ears,  is,  ])erha|)s,  not  very  far  from  the  trutii. 
'^riie  younjier  females  under  the  breedin<;"  aiic 
are  presented  in  green,  the  breeding  females  iu 
yellow,  and  the  barren  in  brown. 


m 


tm 


m 


[•s.  we 


I'conics 


•lod    IS 


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truth. 


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Male    Seals 


rnal    condition    under 


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orn    annually 
illed         ., 


cm  Killable   Males 
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18         19  20  \e:aks 


REPORT   OP    AMERICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


355 


Thus  the  diafframs  give,  it  is  believed,  a  fair    Expinnatiou  of 

(Uiigrania. 

representation  of  tlie  condition  of  a  lierd  of  about 
80,000  seals,  10,000  males  and  the  same  number 
of  females  being  boni  each  year,  showing  the 
breeding  and  the  nonbreeding  of  both  males  and 
females ;  the  breeding  males,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, including  those  not  only  found  at  the 
head  of  harems,  but  all  of  those  that  in  virtue  of 
their  age  and  condition  are  capable  of  filling  a 
place  on  the  breeding  rookeries.  The  killable 
males  include  only  those  not  under  two  or  over 
four  years  of  age,  which  fiimish  skins  of  the 
finest  quality  and  greatest  value. 

It  is  important  to  remark  here  that  everyone 
of  the  breeding  females  is  necessary  to  insure 
the  annual  birth  of  20,000  pups.  If  this  were 
not  the  case  and  the  herd  were  undisturbed  it 
would  increase  in  numbers,  which  is  contrary  to 
the  hypothesis  that  it  has  already  reached  its 
nonnal  condition  of  stability. 

Diagram  C  shows  the  male  portion  of  the  same 
herd  when  judiciously  worked  by  man.  No 
females  under  the  breeding  age  can  be  killed,  for 
that  would  very  shortly  reduce  the  iramber  of 
breeding  females,  and  none  of  these  can  be  spared 
without  reducing  the  number  of  births.  The 
only  females  available  for  killing  without  injury 
to  the  herd  are  the  barren  females.     Were  their 


mM 


''U"M* 


3r>G 


REPORTS   OF   BERING   SEA   COMMISSION. 


Expinnatiou  of  skills  not  inferior  and  of  less  value  than  those  of 

(liugraiuH. 

the  young  males  it  would  be  impossible,  under  tlic 
most  favorable  circumstances,  to  certainly  distin- 
guish  them  from  their  more  fruitful  sisters.  With 
males,  however,  the  case  is  entirely  different.  It 
is  only  necessary  with  those  of  the  killable  a«^e 
given  above  to  allow  enough  to  escape  the  club 
to  supply  the  annual  deficit  of  virile  males  on 
the  breeding  rookeries.  In  other  words,  if  1 00,000 
breeding  females  were  required  to  maintain  a 
given  herd,  rigorously  speaking,  and  assuming  as 
a  moderate  estimate  twenty  females  in  each 
harem,  only  .5,000  breeding  males  would  bo 
required  and  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  spare 
enough  to  keep  up  this  number.  The  diagram 
assumes  a  nuich  more  liberal  supply  of  males, 
however,  the  ratio  being  assumed  at  twelve  to 
one. 

The  diagram  shows  that  the  total  number  of 
males  in  the  herd  would  be  greatly  diminished 
and  the  census  of  the  whole  herd  coiTespond- 
ingly  lessened.  But  when  once  reached,  the 
new  condition  would  be  constant  and  self-sus- 
taining; the  same  number  of  seals  might  be 
killed  annually  forever  without  danger  of 
diminution,  except  from  other  causes.  The 
calculation  on  which  the  diagram  is  constructed 
shows  that  the  number  of  male  seals  w«»uld  bo 


tfrSc 


REPORT   OF    AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


357 


reduced  to  nearly  one-half  of  what  it  would  be    Eipiaimtion  of 

(liugruiuH. 

in  the  undisturbed  condition,  and  that  about 
twelve  to  thirteen  years  would  be  required  to 
reduce  the  male  herd  to  this  condition  of  stability 
under  constant  killing?.  Taking  such  a  herd  as 
is  considered  in  the  construction  of  the  diagrams, 
it  would  number  about  80,000,  equally  divided 
between  the  two  sexes,  20,000  being  added  by 
birth  and  the  same  number  subtracted  by  death 
each  year. 

In  order  to  represent  more  clearly  the 
enormous  herd  of  seals  which  it  may  be  sup- 
posed at  one  time  frequented  the  Pribilof 
Islands,  undisturbed  by  man,  these  numbers 
may  be  nuiltiplied  so  as  to  give  a  total  of 
3,000,000  seals,  750,000  being  born  every  year 
and  the  same  luimber  dying  from  natural  causes. 
Of  the  1,500^000  females  about  800,000  would 
be  breeding,  the  remainder  mostly  too  young  to 
breed,  a  very  small  number  being  bairen.  Of 
the  1,500,000  males  about  65,000  wovdd  be  on 
the  breeding  rookeries,  and  the  remainder, 
excluding  the  young  jnst  bom,  would  haul  out 
as  'hoUuschickie,'  and  would  include  285,000 
of  a  suitable  age  for  killing,  on  account  of  the 
superior  character  and  condition  of  their  skins. 

In  undertaking  to  utilize  the  products  of  this 
herd  for  the  good  of  man,  the  problem  which  is 


»*■, 


i^iv'w^ 


■4' 


;! 


^   ii 


3r.8 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA   nOMMISSION. 


Kx|.iiiiiiiti<iii  of  presented  is  to  determine  how  many  and  wlmt 
classes  of  seals  may  be  taken  annually  without 
diminishing-  the  number  of  births.  As  already 
stated,  tlie  solution  consists  in  taking  a  limited 
number  of  male  seals  between  certain  ages,  leav- 
ing a  sufficient  number  of  breeding  males  for  the 
rookeries  and  guarding  the  females  in  the  most 
careful  manner.  The  investigation  shows  that  in 
this  assumed  herd  of  three  million  80,000  males 
may  be  taken  annually  between  the  ages  of  two 
and  five  years,  and  that  the  total  number  of 
males  will  be  gradually  reduced  from  1,500,000 
to  about  880,000,  thus  diminishing  the  total  of 
the  herd  from  3,000,000  to  2,380,000,  after 
which  no  further  reduction  will  take  place. 

One    reason     When  it  is  remembered  that  of  the  880,000 

feinau's  are  killed 

by  pelagic  sciUcrs.  j,iale  scals  remaining,  375,000  are  the  recently 
born  young,  and  after  making  the  same  reduc- 
tion of  the  total  females  (1,500,000)  it  will  be 
seen  that  under  these  conditions  the  number  of 
females  is  more  than  double  the  number  of  males 
and  this  fact  alone  would  account  for  an  exces- 
sive number  of  females  taken  by  pelagic  sealers. 
An  examination  of  the  diagrams  will  show 
that  the  number  of  seals  included  in  the  class 
of  breeding  females  is  but  little  in  excess  of  the 
number  actually  necessary  for  the  maintenance 
of  the   birthrate,  provided  every  seal   is  fruitful 


C o n cl n n  i  o  n  8 
froui  diagi'uuis. 


REPORT   OF   AMKUICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


359 


every  year.    In  tlie  nature  of  thinffs,  this  can    Conclusion ■ 

^         ^    from  (liagramB. 

not  be  expected,  and  the  excess  liere  existing  is 
undoubtedly  small  enough  to  insure  against  loss. 
Althougli  the  allotment  of  one  male  to  twelve 
females  is  believed  to  be  less  than  the  actual 
average  in  nature,  the  number  of  males  allowed 
to  escape  the  club  is  considerably  in  excess  of 
that  demanded  on  this  supposition,  and  all  of  the 
hypotheses  of  the  calculation  are  made  to  insure 
safety  and  pei-petuity  to  the  herd. 

The  ffraiihic  representation  of  the  condition  of  ..^''^•='*"*''ownby 

o     I  I  diagrams. 

the  herd  serves  also  to  emphasize  the  fact  that 
when  an  attack  is  made  on  the  life  ol  the  seal 
by  destroying  the  females,  the  results  of  such 
destruction  will  be  first  noticed  in  a  diminished 
number  of  killable  males.  The  number  of  males 
being  relatively  small,  any  change  is  more 
readily  observed,  particularly  since  the  killable 
males  of  the  herd  are  the  only  seals  in  which 
the  islanders  are  immediately  interested. 

Having  thus  shown  the  possibility  of  contin- 
ually taking  a  large  number  of  male  seals  with- 
out the  slightest  danger  to  the  herd,  and  also 
that  the  only  harmless  killing  of  female  seals  is 
that  in  which  the  bairen  only  are  destroyed,  let 
us  examine  the  nature  of  pelagic  sealing  and  its 
results  as  compared  witli  sealing  on  the  islands. 


m 


^.fi 


360 


BRI'OKTM   OK    F«EKING    HEA    COMMIHHION. 


HEAL    KILFJNG    ON    THE    FKIBILOF    INLANDS. 

ponsU.iiHyofre.      In  reference  to  the  latter  it  can  be  positively 

•trictiou.  ^  . 

aflfirmed  that  it  can  be  entirely  controlled  b}- 
man.  The  8ex  and  a<re  of  the  Heals  killed  luiiy 
be  fixe<l  by  rejjulation  and  the  number  to  bo 
taken  definitely  determined  in  adv^ance.  Intact, 
it  is  difficult  to  imaj^ine  any  operation  of  a 
nimilar  character  more  perfectly  controllable  than 
tluH.  Not  only  can  the  character  of  Heal  to  be 
killed  be  rigorously  prescribed,  but  the  killiiio- 
can  be  conducted  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  least 
harmful  to  the  remaining  portion  of  the  herds, 
and  that  freedom  from  disturbance  durinji'  the 
breeding  season  which  is  so  essential  to  tl  life 
of  the  seal  can  be  assured. 

The  only  seals  killed  at  the  seal  islands  are 
noid)reeding  males  (under  five  or  six  years  of 
age,  called  'holhischickie').  They  come  up  on 
the  rookeries  apart  from  the  breeding  seals,  and 
large  numbers  are  present  by  the  latter  part  of 
May  or  first  week  in  June,  after  which  they 
constantly  pass  back  and  forth  from  the  water  to 
the  hauling  grounds.  They  are  driven  from  the 
hauling  grountls  to  the  killing  grounds  by  the 
native  Aleuts,  who  have  been  trained  in  this  work 
from  generation  to  generation.  Here  the  seals 
are  divided  into  little  groups.  Those  selected  as 
of  suitable  size  are  killed  by  a  blow  on  the  head 


C1n88    of    seals 
killtid. 


Driving. 


UKl'OUT   OF    AMKKICAN    COMM1S8IONKU8. 


3(il 


with  a  I'liih,  file  others  nvti  allowed  t»)  p>  into    Driviuu. 
tliu  water   and  soon  reappear   on    tliu   hauling' 
groiniils.     In  this  way  alumt  one  luindred  thou- 
santl  younjr  males  have  been  killod  annually  on 

the  I'ribilof  Islands  tor  twenty  years. 

In  addition  to  the  ccanniercial  killini;  above ,  Killing  pupH  for 
deseribed,  a  nundjer  ot  inale  pups  were  formerly 
killed  each  year  to  furnish  t'o(»d  for  the  natives, 
but  the  killing-  of  pups  is  now  prohibited  by  the 
Government. 

The  only   objections   that  have  been  urffcd    crUicismH  on 

J  •>  "       nmiiiier   ot  '  ilriv- 

against  this  mode  of  taking  seals  are  such  as  re-  '"S*' 
late  to  details  of  the  operations  as  ordinarily 
carrie«l  on,  any  of  which  could  be  modified  if  i'; 
was  found  desirable  to  do  so.  Much  stress  has 
been  1;  id  upon  the  destructive  effects  of  seal 
driving,  and  it  has  even  been  affirmed  that  when 
a  male  seal  has  once  been  *  di'iveii'  its  repro- 
ductive powers  are  lost. 

While  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  some  instances 
excessive  driving  has  been  allowed,  that  seals 
have  been  di'iven  further  than  is  actually  neces- 
sary, and  that  proper  care  has  not  been  taken  to 
eliminate  the  nonkillable  seals  as  far  as  possible 
before  the  dri  zing  is  well  under  way,  those  are 
matters  that  are  so  entirely  under  control  that  a 
proper  adjustment  may  be  secm-ed  at  once. 


2716- 


-46 


■ 


M 


'i 


'Mi 


i 


3G2 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA   COMMISSION. 


Male  seals  not 
iDjured  by  'driv- 
iug.' 


ManaKcincnt. 


The  assumption  that  driving-  is  seriously  injuri- 
ous to  tlie  repro<luctive  powers  of  the  male  is 
doubtless  unfounded,  being  quite  contrary  to  the 
declared  belief  of  Captain  Webster  and  other 
sealers  of  long  experience.  Against  every  asser- 
tion of  this  kind  it  is  only  necessary  to  put  tlie 
fact  that  there  is  no  evidence  of  a  lack  of  virility 
on  the  rookeries,  but,  on  the  contriuy,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  there  is  a  surplus  of  it  at  the  present 
time,  unless,  indeed,  it  is  assumed  that  harems 
are  defended  and  held  against  the  most  ferocious 
attacks,  often  at  a  loss  of  much  blood  and  muscle, 
by  Impotent  seals. 

Seal  killing  on  the  Pribilof  Islands  has  been 
and  is  conducted  on  the  theory  outlined  above, 
that  the  male  seal  only  should  be  killed,  and  of 
these  a  limited  number  whose  age  falls  within 
certain  narrow  limits,  and  that  the  female  should 
be  spared  at  all  hazards.  The  same  principle 
controls  the  killing  on  the  Commander  Islands, 
and,  as  far  as  we  know,  wherever  and  whenever 
the  operation  has  been  subjected  to  intelligent 
control.  Where  these  restrictions  have  not  been 
applied  the  life  of  the  herd  was  generally  short 
and  the  commercial  destruction  complete. 

The  picture  presented  by  pelagic  sealing  is  of 
a  different  character. 


w.li^'ji 


REPORT    OF    AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


3G3 


SEAL    KILLING    AT    SEA   OR    PELAGIC    SEALING. 


Pelagic  sealing  is  carried  on  chiefly  by  means  Veswis  and  crew, 
of  scnooners,  each  of  which  is  provided  with  a 
crew  of  twenty  to  twenty-five  men  and  several 
small  boats  for  hunting.  V/hen  seals  are  en- .„^'''""<""*' •'""^■ 
countered  the  small  boats  put  out  and  the  hunt- 
ing begins.  If  a  seal  is  »een  on  the  surface  the 
hunter  approaches  it  as  quietly  as  possible,  and 
when  near  enough  shoots  it  Avith  the  shotgun  or 
rifle ;  but  most  seals  are  shot  as  they  rise  within 
range  of  the  boat.  When  a  seal  is  shot  the  oars- 
man pulls  toward  it  as  rapidly  as  poHsiblj  in  the 
hope  of  reaching  it  before  it  sinks.  By  the  aid  The  gaff, 
of  an  iron  hook  on  the  end  of  a  light  i^ole  many 
seals  are  secured  after  they  have  sunk  below  the 
surface  but  have  not  yet  passed  out  of  reach. 
Some  of  the  sealing  vessels  use  steam  power,  but 
most  of  them  depend  on  sails. 

Formerly,  Indian  crews  were  taken  almost 
exclusively),  and  the  s})ear  was  used  instead  of 
firearms,  in  order  rot  to  frighten  the  seals.  This 
method  had  the  great  advantage  of  securing 
nearly  all  seals  wounded.  Now,  both  Indian  and 
white  hunters  are  empU>yed,  and  the  use  of  the 
spear  has  been  almost  w  holly  superseded  by  the 
use  of  firearms.  The  sliotgun  is  used  more  than 
the  rifle  for  the  reason  that  fewer  wounded  seals 
are  lost  thereby. 


ludiau  hunters. 


i;,'!^-v; 


■.-'Jl 


rt  t 


teas 


4 


-  «i 


364 


REPORTS    OF    BERING    SEA   COMMISSION. 


History. 


ludian  hunters.  In  addition  to  the  destruction  wrought  by  the 
se.aling  schooners,  pehigic  seahnj^  is  still  carried 
on  along  shore  by  the  native  Indians  in  their 
canoes,  but  the  number  of  fur-seals  thus  killed 
is  relatively  small. 

Pelagic  sealing  has  been  earned  on  fortuit- 
ously and  on  a  small  scale  for  many  years,  but 
it  was  not  until  within  the  present  decade  that 
numerous  vessels  engaged  systematically  in  the 
enterprise.  The  profits  are  so  great  in  compar- 
ison with  the  capital  invested  that,  as  the  results 
of  the  annual  catch  became  known  each  year,  a 
constantly  increasing  number  of  vessels  was  led 
to  engage  in  the  industry,  Avith  a  corresponding 
increase  in  the  number  of  seals  killed  in  the  open 
The  fur-seals  which  move  northward  along 
the  coast  of  the  Northwestern  United  States, 
British  Columbia,  and  southeastern  Alaska  from 
January  until  late  in  June  are  chiefly  pregnant 
females,  and  about  ninety  per  cent  of  the  adult 
seals  killed  by  pelagic  sealers  in  tlie  North  Pacific 
are  females  heavy  with  young. 

Pelagic   seaierH     For   scveral  years   the   pelagic   sealers  were 

enter  Being  Sia.  i     •      i  .  i      •       i 

content  to  pursue  tlien*  destructive  work  m  tlie 
North  Pacific,  but  of  late  they  have  entered 
lienng  Sea,  where  they  continue  to  capture  seals 
in  the  water  through(>ut  the  entire  summer.     The 


Destruction     ofSCa. 
female  seals. 


REPORT    OF    AMERICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


365 


females    killed   durinof   tins   period   are   giving    Nmsing  females 
milk,  and  are  aAvay  from  the  islands  in  search  of 
food.     Their  young-  starve  to  death  on  the  rook- 
eries.    We  saw  vast  numbers  of  dead  pups  on    nMtipupsontiic 

1     r  rookeries, 

the  island  of  St.  Paul  last  summer  (1891),  which> 
from  their  emaciated  condition,  had  evidently 
died  of  starvation.  The  total  immber  of  their 
carcasses  remaining  on  the  Pribilof  Islands  at 
the  end  of  the  season  of  1891  has  been  esti- 
mated by  the  United  States  Treasury  agents  at 
not  less  than  twenty  thousand. 

Pelagic  sealing  is  now  earned  on  in  the  North  i^fiou.^"  '""'■ 
Pacific  Ocean  from  January  until  late  in  June, 
and  in  Bering  Sea  in  July,  August,  and  Septem 
ber.  Some  sealing  schooners  remain  as  late  as 
November,  but  they  do  so  for  the  purpose  of 
raiding  the  rookeries. 

The  number  of  seals  secured  by  pelairic  Catch  of  scaling 
sealers  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  ascertain, 
because  no  complete  record  has  been  kept  of 
any  except  those  sold  in  Victoria,  British  Co- 
lumbia. Many  thousands  have  been  sold  in 
San  Francisco,  concerning  which  we  have  not 
been  able  as  yet  to  obtain  reliable  iiilbrmatiou. 


Jj. 


3C6 


REPOKTS    OF    HERINO    SEA    COMMISSION. 


'^I'ho  mimV)er  of  seal  skins  actually  recorded  as 
sold  as  a  result  of  pelag^ic  sealing  is  shown  in 
the  followin*'!'  table:* 


ir-r 

No.  of    1 

HkiUB 

Tear. 

No.  of 
aktna. 

1872          

1, 029 

1882 

17,700 

0,195 

tl4,00U 

1873 

1883  

1»74 

187.'> 

4,IMU 
1,640 
2,IM2 
5.700 
9.  S9:i 
12,!)0ll-t- 

la.two 

13,541 

1884 

1885 

13,000 

1870 

1880 

38,907 
33,800 
37, 789 
40.998 
48.519 
62,500 

1877                 

1887 

1888  

1878 

1879 

1880 

1881 

1880 

1 890 

1891 

Iixlisrriiniiiate 
killiii}<;. 


t  Number  eHtimnted  ft-um  value  given. 

It  can  not  be  denied  that  in  pelagic  sealing 
there  can  be  no  selective  killing,  as  far  as 
individual  seals  are  concerned,  and  only  in  a 
limited  degree  by  restricting  it  as  to  place  and 
time.  It  necessarily  follows  that  female  seals 
must  be  killed  and  seals  whose  skins  owing  to 
age  and  condition  are  much  less  desirable.     As 

*  The  figures  for  the  years  1872  to  1876,  inclusive,  and  1891,  are 
from  the  Loudon  Trade  Sales.  Those  from  1877  to  1887,  inclusive, 
are  from  the  oHieial  reports  of  the  Minister  of  Marine  and  Fisli- 
eries  of  Canada,  and  prohaldy  fall  short  of  the  actual  catch,  be- 
cause the  eatcli  of  tlie  United  States  vessels  is  not  included.  The 
figures  for  1888  are  from  the  same  source  (26,983)  plus  tne  United 
States  pelagic  catch  (9,8()6),  as  stated  in  the  Report  of  the  United 
States  Commissioner  of  Fish  and  Fisheries  for  that  year.  The 
figures  for  the  years  1889  and  1890  are  from  the  Canadian  Fish- 
eries Reports,  and  compriise  both  the  catch  of  the  Canadian  fleet 
(38,570  for  1889  and  44,750  for  1890)  and  of  other  vessels  whidi 
sold  their  skins  in  Victoria,  British  Columbia  (7,428  in  1889  and 
3,768  in  1890).  The  catch  of  American  vessels  sold  in  San  Fran- 
cisco is  not  included. 


•iHl| 


REPORT   OF    AMKKICAN    t'OMMlSSlONKKS. 


3G7 


a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  sufficient  evidence  to  ,  PercntaRe  of 

ffiiuiles  in  cutck. 

convince  us  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the 
seals  taken  at  sea  are  females;  indeed,  Ave  have 
yet  to  meet  with  any  evidence  to  the  contrary. 
The  statements  of  those  who  have  had  occasion 
to  examine  the  catch  of  pelag-ic  sealers  might  bo 
quoted  to  almost  any  extent  to  the  effect  that  at 
least  eighty  percent  of  the  seals  thus  taken  are 
females.  On  one  occasion  we  examined  a  pile 
of  skins  picked  out  at  random,  and  which  we 
have  every  reason  to  believe  was  a  part  of  a 
pelagic  catch,  and  found  them  nearly  all  females. 
When  the  sealers  themselves  are  not  influenced 
by  the  feeling  that  they  are  testifying  against 
their  own  interests  they  give  similar  testimony. 
The  master  of  the  sealing  schooner  J.  G.  Swan 
declared  that  in  the  catch  of  1890,  when  he 
secured  several  hundred  seals,  the  proportion  of 
females  to  males  was  about  four  to  one,  and  on 
one  occasion  in  a  lot  of  sixty  seals,  as  a  matter 
of  curiosity  he  counted  the  number  of  females 
with  young,  finding  forty-seven. 

Evidence  on  this  point  might  be  extended 
indefinitely,  but  one  or  two  additional  references 
will  be  valuable.     The  following  is  from  Messrs.    i^Mct  of  c.  m. 

Laiupsou  &,  Co. 

C.  M.  Lampson  &  Co.,  of  London,  the  most  exten- 
sive dealers  in  fui's  in  the  world,  and  everywhere 


UttI 


■■*11 


.'JOS 


REPORTS    OF    hKKING    SKA    COMMISSION. 


Letter  of  {;.  M.  rccoonized  as  a  high  authority  on  tin's  question. 

LtiuipHuii  iV  Co. 

RettnTing  to  the  regular  supply  of  fur-seals  that 
had  for  many  years  come  into  the  market  from 
the  vicinity  of  Vancouver  Island,  they  remark  : 
"The  (quantity,  we  should  say,  has  averajj^ed 
at  least  ten  thousand  per  annum.  This  catoli 
takes  place  in  the  months  of  March  and  April, 
and  we  believe  that  the  animals  from  which 
these  skins  are  deiived  are  females  of  the  Alaska 
seals,  just  the  same  as  those  caught  in  the  Bering^ 
Sea.  Had  this  quantity  been  materially  in- 
creased we  feel  sin-e  that  the  breedings  on  the 
Pribilof  Islands  would  have  suffered  more  before 
now,  but,  fortunately,  the  catch  must  necessarily 
be  a  limited  one,  owing  to  the  s  ormy  time  of  the 
year  at  which  it  is  made  and  the  dangerous 
coast  where  the  seals,  only  for  a  short  time,  are 
found.  It  must,  however,  be  evident  that  if 
these  animals  were  followed  into  the  Bering 
Sea  and  hunted  down  in  a  calm  sea  in  the  quiet- 
est months  of  the  year,  a  practically  unlimited 
quantity  of  females  might  be  taken,  and,  as  you 
say,  it  would  be  only  a  few  years  till  the  Alaska 
seal  was  a  thing  of  the  past."  (Extract  from  a 
letter  addressed  to  C.  A.  Williams,  esq.,  August 
22,  1888.) 


REPORT    OF    AMKUIf'AX    COMMISSIONERS. 


369 


Sir 


Essentially  the  same  view  is  held  by  so  well  opiniim  of  si 
known  an  authority  as  Sir  Georj^e  Batleii-J'owell,  i'i'«iii. 
after  having-  visited  the  western  coast  and  thor- 
onghly  investiji^ated  the  (question,  as  he  says, 
from  the  point  of  view  of  natural  history,  in  a 
letter  written  by  him  to  the  London  'I'imes  in 
November,  1881).  Among  other  things,  relating 
to  the  Bering  Sea  questi«>n,  he  says:  "As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  Canadian  sealers  take  very 
few,  if  any,  seals  close  to  these  islands.  Their 
main  catch  is  made  far  out  at  sea  and  is  almost 
entirely  composed  of  females." 

In   addition   to    evidence   of    this   kind,    the     I'Ik^    T-on.i.m 

TiiuU'  Siilus. 

records  of  the  London  Trade  Sales  ma)  be 
cited.  In  these  the  pelagic  catch  in  Bering  Sea 
and  the  North  Pacific  is  quoted  under  the  title 
"Northwest  Coast,"  and  the  character  of  the 
skins  is  conclusively  shown  by  the  fact  that 
their  market  })rice  is  invariably  very  nmeh  lower 
than  that  of  the  island  catch  quoted  under  the 
title  of  "Alaska  skins." 

An   important   element    in    determining   the    ^Vast.-  of  life, 
effect   of    pelagir*    sealing   is   its    wastefulness, 
growing  out  of  the  loss  of  many  seals  at  sea 
by  their  being  wounded  so  that  tliey  either  die 
and  sink  at  once  or  escape  without  l)eing  taken, 

oidy  to  die  soon  after.     When  female  seals  are 
2716 47 


.4 


m 


370 


REPORTS   OF    nERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


Waste  of  life,  tlius  lost — Hiul  tliG  gruat  majority  are  shown  to 
be  females — a  serious  wound  is  inflicted  uituu 
the  lierd,  without  the  gain  of  so  much  as  a 
single  skin. 

fiiMt  nnmbers     While  there  is  much  difference  of  opinion  ns 

wuiiiuleu.  '■ 

to  the  relation  of  the  number  of  seals  lost  in  this 
way  to  the  number  taken,  no  one  denies  tli.it 
some  loss  occurs.  That  seals  are  often  wounded 
without  being  taken,  is  proved  by  the  frequent 
finding  of  bullets  and  shot  in  the  bodies  of  seals 
killed  on  the  islands.  As  no  females  are  killed 
there,  and  as  those  .seals  of  either  sex  that  are 
wounded  to  death  at  sea,  but  not  secured,  oin 
never  be  appealed  to  as  witnesses,  the  extent  of 
the  injury  from  this  source  jnust  be  more  or  less 
a  matter  of  inference.  The  only  direct  testimony 
is  that  which  must  be  furnished  by  those  engnjicd 
in  pelagic  sealing,  and  in  this  matter  they  are 
personally  interested  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
rorrrnt.Tj-c   <'•  render  their  evideucc  of  uncertain  value.     Such 

seulH  lost. 

as  we  were  able  to  examine  on  this  point  ven- 
tm*ed  the  opinion  that  about  one-third  of  those 
killed  were  lost.  Captain  Webster  declares  it  to 
be  his  belief  that  about  one-third  of  the  number 
killed  were  saved.  Doubtless  much  depends  <»n 
the  method  of  killing,  tJie  use  of  si)ears  beinu' 
thouji'ht  to  be  much  less  wasteful  than  that  of  rifle 


REPORT   OP    AMERICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


371 


Iff 

i 

iff  -'S 


or  shoty^un.  (iiiiiH,  howover,  are  now  ffeneralh'  iNicentngo  of 
employed  by  the  hunters  Many  persons  wlio 
liave  had  oj)portunities  for  acquinng  information 
on  tliis  question  by  conference  with  pelagic 
sealers,  Indian  and  white,  or  from  other  sources, 
have  declared  that  the  loss  is  very  much  greater, 
putting  the  number  of  seals  lost  to  those  recov- 
ered as  five  to  one  or  ten  to  one,  or  even  higher. 
In  the  absence  of  more  certain  knowledge,  it 
is  our  judgment,  based  on  the  best  infonnation 
available,  that  such  estimates  are  exaggerated, 
but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  loss  from  this 
source  is  real  and  serious,  and  that  it  must  1)8 
taken  into  account  in  any  estimate  of  the  effects 
of  pelagic  sealing. 

Pelagic  sealing  as  an  industry  is  of  recent  1,,^ 
origin,  and  may  be  said  to  date  from  1879.  In 
1880,  according  to  the  official  report  of  the  Cana- 
dian Minister  of  Marine  and  Fisheries,  7  vessels 
and  213  men  were  engaged  in  pelagic  sealing  in 
the  North  Pacific,  securing  13,600  skins,  valued 
at  >S163,200.  The  same  authority  states  that 
in  1886,  20  vessels  and  459  men  secured  38,907 
skins,  valued  at  $389,070.  In  1891  the  number 
of  United  States  and  Canadian  vessels  had  in- 
creased to  over  100;  upwards  of  2,000  men  were 
engaged,  and  more  than  62,000  skins  were  se- 
cured. 


GrowMi   «l' 
fie  st'iiliii''. 


110 


•m 


^m 


•:■■■•{'' 


m 


372 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA   COMMISSION. 


(iiowtii  oi    jM-     Tims  it  apijcars  tliat  for  ten  vearH  uftor  the 

liigic  Mealing. 

Alaska  purchase  the  fur-seals  of  the  Prihilof  Is- 
lands were  practically  undisturbed  in  passin^r  to 
and  from  their  breeding''  «»rounds;  that  in  187!),  7 
vessels  and  213  men  attacked  them  in  the  scji 
alonw-  the  Northwest  Coast,  securing  13,G00 
skins;  that  the  industry  proved  so  remunerati\c 
that  in  twelve  years  the  number  of  vessels  had  in- 
creased from  7  to  over  100;  the  men  from  213  to 
upwards  of  2,000,  and  the  skins  secured  from 
13,(;()0  to  more  than  (J2,0()()!  One  of  the  eflPects 
of  this  slaughter  was  the  appearance  on  the 
rookeries  upon  the  islands  of  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  dead  pups,  starvation  resulting  from 
the  loss  of  their  mothers  who  went  out  in  search 
of  food  but  never  returned.  A  glance  upon  the 
chart  showing  the  locati«m  of  the  sealing  schoon- 
ers when  warned  out  of  the  sea  by  Government 
vessels  will  throw  nmch  light  on  the  wholesale, 
not  to  say  iiduunnn,  destruction  of  young  seals. 
Coini).irison  of  finally,  in  comparing  the  operation  of  taking 
at  sea.  senls  ou  laud  with  pelagic  seahng,  it  is  important 

to  observe  that  in  the  latter  there  is  no  possil)le 
way  in  which  the  number  of  seals  taken  can  be 
controlled.  While  limitations  of  time  and  place 
might  restrict  the  number  captured  by  one 
hunter,  increase  in  the  number  of  hunters,  which 


REPORT   OF    AMKHICAN    COMMISSIONERS. 


373 


it  is  practically   inumsMible   to  prevent,   would    ('omiiiuiNoii    «>»• 

'  ^      ^  senliiiKiniluiiiluiul 

quickly  render  such  restriction  valueless.  As"t»«i»- 
long  as  hunting-  was  profitable  it  w<uil(l  be  fol- 
lowed, and  the  })rofit  considered  would  be  that 
which  is  immediate.  Hundreds  of  schooners 
under  private  direction  would  have  little  thought 
of  the  good  of  the  many,  and  the  effort  of  every 
individual  would  be  to  take  as  many  seals  as 
})08sible  during  the  .season,  regardless  of  sex,  age, 
or  condition,  for  next  year  there  may  be  no  seals 
to  take. 

Fiither  pelagic  sealing  or  killing  on  land  nni.st 
bear  tlie  responsibility  for  the  decadence  in  seal 
life  which  has  taken  pla(;e  during  the  last  few 
years,  and  this  decadence  is  known  to  have 
occurred  contemporaneously  with  the  develop- 
ment of  pelagic  sealing  from  a  comparatively 
trifling  industry  (practiced  mostly  by  Indians 
and  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  North  Pacific 
coast)  to  its  present  magnitude,  such  that,  despite 
the  presence  of  a  considerable  fleet  of  vessels  of 
both  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  patrol- 
ling Bering  Sea  to  declare  it  unlawful  and  to 
arrest  those  engaged  in  it,  a  pelagic  catch  of 
over  sixty  thousand  seals  was  had  in  a  single 
season.  In  view  of  this  fact,  and  of  the  careful  n<f  r.'asoor].(  r.i 
comparison  which  we  have  made  of  the  two'"''''"'°" 
methods  of  taking  seals,  on  land  and  at  sea,  and 


!'■  '5, 


,  I ,  J 


:~r.\ 


'  ■  '  ! 

'       i 

"... 


^^•m 


M 


374 


REPORTS    OF    BKRINO    ftEA    COMMISSION. 


Dccrinsoiifhi-ni  of  flieir  nffoctH  Oil  tlie  seal  herd,  we  feel  jiistifi^Ml 

<'iniHi-tl  liy  poliigic 

"""'•"g-  in  <UH'l}iriii}»- our  belief  that  the  f^reat  (liiniimtioii 

in  the  number  of  seals  on  and  freciuentin^  the 
Pribilof  Islands,  which  has  been  observed  duriiiji 
the  past  few  years,  jnust  be  attributed  to  the  evil 
effects  of  pelaj^ic  sealing. 
Proiiii.itioii    of     Haviiiff  found  the  source  of  the  evil,  it  is  easv 

neceasuiy.  jq  determine  the  remedy.     The  principal  meas- 

ure necessary  for  the  protection  and  preservation 
of  seal  life  in  Bering  Sea  is  one  which  must  prac- 
tically prohibit  pelagic  sealing.  Argument  on 
this  point  is  unnecessary  if  we  have  succeeded 
in  establishing  the  propositions  already  laid  down 
in  this  report.  It  may  be  worth  while,  however, 
to  refer  briefly  to  one  or  two  pl.ans,  restrictive  as 
to  time  and  place,  which  have  been  offered  as  a 
Limited  prot.c- solutiim  of  tills  problem.     It  is  evident  that  any 

tiou  imideijuiite.  ■  i    !• 

scheme  that  contemplates  contmued  license  to 
pelagic  sealing,  even  in  a  much  restricted  form, 
is  not  the  logical  outcome  of  the  facts  and  cir- 
cumstances as  they  exist  to-day,  and  must  fall 
short  of  accomplishing  the  desired  result. 

Among  other  plans  that  have  been  suggested, 
is  the  establishmeiTit  of  a  zone  surrounding  the 
islands  outside  of  >viiich  pelagic  sealing  might  be 
allowed  and  insido  of  which  no  sealing  vessels 
should  be  permitted  to  go.  Thi.s  plan  has  the 
advantage  of    being    satisfactory,    if    properl} 


A  zone  of  prohi- 
bitiuii  iiiudequutf 


REPORT    or    AMKRICAN    < OMMISSIONKRS. 


37.-i 


executed.     If  the  radius  of  tliis  pjotectt'd  Jirea  \»    a  zone  «t  proiu 

bition  iiiuilfiiMiito. 

great  enough  to  insure  the  e\<  hision  of  pelagic 
sealers  from  Bering  8ea  and  the  Nortli  Pacific 
Ocean  it  would  be  entirely  acceptable,  lint 
when  a  radius  of  ten  miles  or  of  thirty  or  even 
fifty  miles  is  suggested,  the  impressi«m  is  strong 
that  such  a  proposition  is  not  intended  to  be  seri- 
ously considered.  An  examination  of  the  chart 
showing  the  location  of  sealers  when  warned 
in  the  summer  of  1891  will  show  that  they  are 
widely  distributed.  On  the  occasion  of  our  visit 
to  the  Pribilof  Islands  in  July  and  August  of  that 
year  seals  appi^^^red  in  considerable  numbers 
while  we  were  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one 
liinidred  and  seventy-five  miles  from  the  islands, 
and  many  were  seen  up  to  the  time  of  our  reach- 
ing the  islands. 

The  possibility  of  properly  executing  any  pro-  hv^pdliL'iV'w'i'iei" 
posed  scheme  of  protection  must  also  have  great  ""i"*88»'>io- 
weight  m  determining  its  value.  For  instance, 
a  proposal  to  permit  pelagic  sealing  with  the  con- 
dition that  only  barren  females  were  to  be  hunted 
and  killed  would  be  quite  free  from  objection, 
for  if  all  such  were  destroyed  the  herd  would 
not  suffer.  But  the  absurdity  of  su<'Ji  a  proposi- 
tion is  at  once  evident  to  all  who  are  familiar 
with  the  elements  of  the  problem.     The  difficulty 


»^"^t 


li' 


'    .  'f    111 


-1 


■Mi 


% 


t 


m 


376 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


iin))o8sii)ie   toil!    maintaining  a  protectod  zone  about  the  is- 

luaiiitain    a   zone. 

lands,  the  radius  of  which  shall  be  comparatively 
small,  will  be  clear  to  all  who  know  the  condi- 
tions prevailing- in  that  part  of  the  world.  'Pliere 
is  almost  constant  cloudiness  and  dense  fog,  and 
it  is  difficult  for  a  vessel  to  know  her  own  loca- 
tion within  reasonable  limits  after  having  cruised 
about  for  a  short  time.  The  margin  of  uncer- 
tainty would  be  nearly  as  wide  as  the  zone  itself. 
Often  the  navigator  receives  his  first  information 
regarding  the  nearness  to  the  islands  by  hearing 
the  cries  of  the  seals  on  the  rookeries,  which  he 
can  not  see.  Under  such  circumstances  few 
arrests  would  be  made  of  trespassing  vessels  that 
could  not  make  a  plausible  plea  in  self-defense. 
In  most  cases  it  would  be  difficult  to  prove  that 
the  sealer  was  actually  within  the  forbidden  area. 

A  close  season.  A  more  reasonable  proposition  is  that  involving 
a  close  time.  A  regulation  fixing  dates  between 
which  pelagic  sealing  would  be  everywhere  for- 
bidden would  b3  of  easy  execution  compared 

Rut  it  miist  prat -with   the   zoiial    restrictions.       But,  as   already 

tiiiiUy  iirobib.t.  •' 

stated,  to  be  of  value  it  must  be  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  practically  prohibit  the  taking  of  seals  at 
sea. 
other  ipmedies     Other  remedies  have  been  proposed,  but  when 

of  uo  avail. 

examined  they  are  found  to  have  the  vital  defect 
of  licensing  or  legitiiuatizing  the  evil  practice 


;?il 


I*'! 


REPORT   OF    AMERICAN    COMMISSIONERS 


377 


wliicli  has  alreadv  resulted  so  (lisjistrousU',  and    oiiki  rcnudics 

■'  '  of  no  avail. 

witliout  any  ade(j[iiate  means  of  (.'ontrolling  tl  '^ 
magnitude  of  its  develo])nients.  In  short,  if 
we  do  not  wish  the  history  of  the  fur-seal  in 
Bering-. Sea  to  be  a  repetition  of  that  of  the 
rookeries  of  the  Southern  Ocean  and  of  other 
localities  where  seak  once  flourished,  measures 
ade([uate  to  the  existing  evil,  heroic,  if  need  be, 
nuist  be  adopted.     In  1889,  Prof  W.H.  Flower, , J'""'-    w.     ii 

'■  '.  1' lower. 

director  of  the  Natiu'al  History  Museum,  Lon- 
don, wrote  as  follows,  after  referring  to  the  total 
annihilation  of  the  rookeries  of  the  south  seas  : 
"Owing  to  the  ruthless  and  indiscriminate 
slau<;hter  carried  on  by  ignorant  and  lawless  seal- 
ers regardless  of  everything  but  immediate  profit," 
he  says,  "The  only  spot  in  the  world  where 
fur-seals  are  now  found  in  their  original  or  e\en 
increased  numbers  is  the  Pribilof  group,  a  cir- 
cumstance entirely  owing  to  the  rigid  enforce- 
ment of  the  wise  regulations  of  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company,  which  are  based  on  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  aininals.  But  for 
this  the  fur-seal  might  before  now  have  been 
added  to  the  long  list  of  jmimals  exterminated 
from  the  earth  by  the  liand  of  man." 

Less  than  three  3'ears  have  elapsed,  and  the    ProRross  of  cx- 

turiiiiiiatinii, 

catastrophe  here  hinted  at  is  well  under  way. 
lU  ])rogress  can  be  arrested  only,  we  believe,  by 


4, 


■Ii  imM 

II 


:!^  m 


'■'I 

Mi 


27H»- 


-48 


378 


REPORTS    OF    BKRING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


i 


ProKnsN  of  ex- the  at'ceptaiice  of  the  priiiciph's  stated  above, 

term  illation. 

wliicli  are  the  h)gical  deduftioiisfroniestablislied 
facta. 
RairtH  oil    the     It  niay  be  worth  wliihi  to  add  that  tlie  su"-- 

roukerics.  '' 

gestion  lias  l)eeii  made  that  the  decrease  m  the 
number  of  seids  is  due  to  ])iratical  raids  upon  the 
ishmds  themselves  during  the  breeding-  season. 
Comparison   of     Wiiile  it  is  umiuestionablv  true  that  such  raids 

raids  aiul  pelagic  ^  " 

sealing.  luivG  Occasionally  occuiTed  during  the  })ast,  and 

that  some  skins  have  been  obtained  in  that  way, 
the  number  of  these  is  so  trifling  in  comparison 
with  the  annual  pelagic  catch  as  not  to  affiict  in 
any  way  the  (juestion  under  consideration.  It  is 
also  difficult  for  one  familiar  with  the  rookeries 
and  the  habits  of  the  seal  to  conceive  of  a  raid 
being  made  without  its  becoming  known  to  the 
officers  in  charge  of  the  <»perations  upon  the 
islands.  The  "raid  theorv,"  dierefore,  mav  be 
lismissed  as  unwoi'thy,  in  our  judgment,  of 
serious  consideration. 
Rcpomni  (•  n  (1  a  -     Jn  addition  to  the  estiiblishment  of  such  regu- 

tion  as  to  manage- 

meut  of  islands.  Jatioiis  as  would  practically  su})i)ress  ])elagic 
sealing,  it  is  strongly  recommended  that  killing 
on  the  Islands  be  subjected  to  somewhat  more 
strict  and  competent  supervision.  While  it  is 
not  believed  that  any  serious  c(»nse(juences  have 
resulted  from  looseness  in  this  respect,  the  inter- 


■•■.-;.  .J. *J. 


.  ■.  i' 


REPORT   OF    AMKRICAN   OOMMISSIONERS. 


379 


ests   involved  are   so   important,  and   in   some  . Recommend a- 

Til  ,  tion  as  to  iiiaiiiiKe- 

reSpOCtS  SO  complu'uted,  that  too  raucli  care  eanmeutof  isiauds. 

not  be  given  to  the  selection  of  the  proper 
persons  to  be  intrusted  with  their  conservation. 
The  practice  of  frequent  clian<^es  in  the  Govern- 
ment ag-ents  is  deplorable.  They  should  he  so 
familiar  through  association  and  observation  with 
the  appearance  of  the  various  rookeries  as  to  be 
the  first  to  notice  any  changes  Avhich  may  take 
place.  They  will  thus  be  enabled  to  determine 
annually  the  number  of  seals  which  may  be 
taken  with  safety  and  from  what  rookeries, 
whether  the  driving  is  properly  conducted,  etc , 
and  their  whole  c-itort.s  should  be  directed  to  the 
preservation  of  the  seal  herd  in  its  normal  con- 
dition. 


mil 


'III  i|| 


SUMMARY. 


Conclusions. 


The  number  of  seals  frequentinjr  the  Pribilof    Seals  b-ive  de- 

Till  ^         T      '  creased. 

Islands  has  greatly  (hnunished  during-  the  pa.st 


fe  v 


years. 


.I'yoofs. — The  ))hysical  condition  of  the  rook- 
Fi  u,^  i)m\  the  testimony  of  natives  and  of  Govern- 
uv.t  {;fticers  and  Company  agents  who  have 
res.>K.i  upon  the  islands  for  many  yeju's. 

The  decrease  in  tlie  number  of  seals  is  tlie    ^♦^'''■<'a»e fln"sed 

by  pthifric  sealing. 

result  of  the  evil  effects  of  pelagic  sealing 


j|i 


;^4 

"■I 

.     ! 


4 


1: 


M 


380 


REPORTS   OP   BERING   SEA   COMMISSION. 


Suppress  peiagic 
Bealiug. 


Proofs. — The  seal  is  polygamous ;  many  males 
may  be  killed  without  injury  to  the  reproductive 
forces,  but  no  females,  exce>)t  the  baiTen.  Kill- 
ing on  land  may  be  and  is  selective;  no  females 
are  killed.  Pelagic  sealing  is  not  and  can  not  be 
selective;  a  majority  of  seals  killed  are  females. 
The  presence  of  dead  pups  in  great  numbers  on 
the  rookeries  last  year  proves  that  their  mothers 
had  been  killed  at  sea  while  in  search  of  food. 
Tli  •■  ^-^  •  nearly  every  skin  taken  two  seals  were 
killeu  say  nothing  of  wastefulness  through 
failure  to  recover  seals  shot  at  sea. 

There  is  no  evidence  of  a  lack  of  virile  males 
on  the  rookeries. 

Remedy. — The  suppression  of  pelagic  sealing. 

When  this  is  secured,  the  Gorcinnient,  insist- 
ing: on  a  strict  enforcement  of  its  regulations 
through  the  agency  of  responsible  and  compe- 
tent officers,  can  render  this  industry,  so  impor- 
tant and  valuable  to  all  the  civilized  world,  as 
nearly  perpetual  as  it  is  possible  for  man  to 
determine. 

Thomas  C.  Mendenhall. 
C.  Hart  Merriam. 

Washington,  April  15,  1892. 


Appendix  A. 


SEALS  SINK  WHEN  KILLED  IN  THE  WATER. 

It  is  well  known  tliat  seals  in  general  sink 
when  killed  in  the  water.  To  prevent  the  loss 
of  such  seals  various  devices  are  em})loyed.  In 
the  Newfoundland  and  Labrador  seal  fisheries  the  "^''-««»J«- 
great  majority  of  the  seals  killed  are  taken  on  the 
ice,  but  some  are  shot  in  the  water.  In  order 
to  secure  the  latter,  each  hunter  is  provided  with 
a  reel  of  stout  cord,  to  which  is  attached  a  lead 
weight  bearing'  several  large  hooks.  When  a  seal 
has  been  shot,  the  hunter  liolds  the  coil  of  loose 
cord  in  one  hand  and  swings  the  weiglit  with 
the  other  until  it  attains  sufficient  momentum, 
when  he  lets  it  fly  in  the  direction  of  the  seal, 
hoping  to  overreach  the  animal,  in  which  case  the 
lead  weight  carries  the  hooks  rapidly  downward 
on  the  far  side  of  the  seal.  By  means  of  a  strong 
pull  on  the  cord,  the  hooks  are  made  to  take 
hold  of  the  seal  and  he  is  drawn  in. 

In  the  North   Pacific,  the  pelagic  sealers  are    Knr-seals. 
provided  with  slender    poles,  each  bearing  an 
iron  hook  at  one  end,  with  which  they  secure 
many  seals  that  have  begun  to  sink.     In  order 

381 


:f»t«i 


m 


'  ;!|P 
k 


r  *" 


'#] 


^'i 


it 


« 


382 


REPORTS    OV   BEHING    SEA    COMMISSION. 


Fur-seals.  to  use  tliis  pole,  the  liuiiter  in  his  boat  approaches 
the  seal  to  within  shotjjun  range;  after  firing, 
tlie  oarsman  propels  the  boat  rapidly  to  the  spot, 
thus  enabling  the  hunter  in  an  uncertain  per- 
centage of  c"  ^es  to  reach  the  seal  with  his  gaff. 

Hair-seals.  Mr.    HiiK'kelmann,    Royal    Superintendent  of 

.  Fisheries,  in  an  article  entitled  "Injuries  to  the 

Fisheries  in  the  Baltic  by  Seals,"  states:  "The 
seal  when  mortally  wounded  invariably  sinks 
to  the  bottom,  where,  at  least  in  deep  water,  it 
can  not  be  reached.  .  .  .  The  huntsman  can 
only  iu  very  rare  cases  prove  that  his  shot  has 
been  successful,  as  the  dead  seal  can  not  be  taken 
f''om  the  surface  of  the  water,  but  sinks  to  the 
bottom."  (Translated  in  Bull.  U.  S.  Fish  Com- 
mission, Vol.  VII,  for  1887-1889,  p.  81.) 

Antarctic  fnr-  (Captain  Musgrave,  who  was  shipwrecked  on 
the  Auckland  Islands,  and  for  a  year  and  a  half 
subsisted  largely  on  the  flesh  of  seals  and  sea-lions, 
states:  "  When  they  are  killed  in  the  water  they 
sink  like  a  stone."  (Quoted  by  R.  A.  A.  Sherrin 
in  "Handbook  of  the  Fisheries  of  New  Zealand," 
1886,  p.  248.) 

Payer  and  Copeland,  in  their  account  of 
*'  Hunting  and  Animal  Life  in  East  Greenland," 
state  res})ecting  seals:  "When  dead  they  sink 
very  quickly."  (The  Zoologist,  No.  124,  187G, 
p.  4744.) 


Hair-acals. 


■'■ii!J 


REPORT   OF    AMKRICAN   COMMISSIONKRS.  383 

Kobort  Wiinvn,  in  a  note  in  The  ZoJilogist  tor  Hair-seuls. 
ISSO  (Sd  series,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  358-359)  states  that 
a  J^ray  seal  (^llaHcharus  (/rypJius)  was  shot  iu 
Killala  Hay  while  in  the  act  of  devoiu'in*^  a  fine 
salmon.  "On  receivinif  the  ball  thron^Ji  the 
hinder  part  of  his  head,  he  sunk  out  of  sight,  but 
was  thrown  ashore  by  the  next  tide,  and  even 
then  retained  a  part  of  the  salmon  between  his 
jaws. 

The  reason  seals  in  general  shik  when  killed  ^Jl^*""*""  "*'*'''* 
in  the  water  is  that  the  s})ecifit'  j^ravity  of  their 
flesh  and  bones  collectively  is  considerably 
g-reater  than  that  of  water,  while  the  specitic 
gravity  of  the  layer  of  fat  beneath  the  skin  is 
less  than  that  of  Avater.  This  layer  of  l)lubber 
is  much  thicker  in  the  hair-seals  than  in  the  fur- 
seals,  but  is  not  thick  enough  to  float  the  body ; 
consequently,  even  the  hair-seals  sink  when 
killed  at  sea.  It  is  true  that  a  certain  percent- 
age of  seals  killed  in  the  water  float  long  enough 
lo  be  recovered.  Such  seals,  as  a  rule,  are  shot 
through  the  lungs,  permitting  enough  air  to 
escape  from  the  lungs  into  the  body  cavity  and 
wounded  tissues  to  cause  them  to  float.  I'elagic 
sealers  admit  that  seals  shot  in  the  head,  when 
the  rest  of  the  body  is  under  water,  are  almost 
certain  to  sink  before  they  can  be  reached. 


!i„,ill 


III 


■ill! 


liagiS-' ,.' ! 


I  N    '.  .sit 


•ill* 


i 


Appendix  B. 


lillll 


DATES  OF  ARRIVALS  OF  FUR-SEALS  AT   PRIBILOP 
ISLANDS,  1871-1891. 

First  arrival  of  bulls,  cows,  and  pups  at  St.  Paul  Island,  Bering  Sea, 
1872-lSOl,  inclusire  (from  the  official  record). 


Year. 

Bui 

H. 

Cows. 

Pups. 

1872 

May 

13 

Jtiiii- 

3 

June        13 

1873 

Apr. 

24 

8 

23 

1874 

23 

May 

24 

tu 

1875 

28 

June 

7 

10 

1876 

May 

3 

5 

No  record. 

1877 

17 

May 

25 

May        29 

1878 

0 

June 

8 

No  record. 

1870 

Apr. 

29 

16 

June       18 

188U 

Apr. 

30 

No  record* 

10 

1881 

May 

5 

June 

8 

12 

1882 

2« 

No  ri'( 

ord* 

Xo  record. 

1883 

May 

6 

...ilo 

do. 

1884 

Apr. 

30 

....do 

do. 

1885 

27 

....do 

do. 

1886 

1« 

....do 

do. 

1887 

May 

1 

. . .  do  . 

.... 

do. 

1888 

1 

....do  . 

May        21 

1889 

3 

June 

;io 

June     ;  10 

1890 

Apr. 

28 

6 

10 

1891 

May 

1 

11 

13 

2710- 


♦On  Juno  21  rookeri™  rapidly  filling  up. 
f'Arriviujj;  in  fair  numliers." 
}  "  Good  mnny  reported." 

49 


385 


'Vim 


'.''■'6 
III 


m 


IP 


38G 


IlKPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA   COMMISSION. 


J'irst  arrmtl  of  bulls,  vow8,  and  pii/in  at  >'/.  (ieorf/e  Inland,  Bering 
Sea,  lS71-lS9t,  incliisire  (from  lln  official  ricord). 


Year. 

BnlU. 

COWH, 

Pupg. 

1871 

May 

4 

No  record. 

No  record. 

1872 

6 

....do 

do. 

1873 

10 

....do 

do. 

1874 

1 

June       7 

Jinif         7 

1875 

Apr. 

2fl|                   0 

No  record. 

1870 

Kf\.. 

15-                   13 

do. 

1877 

May 

8  '                   8 

do. 

1878 

10     Xo  reoord. 

do. 

1870 

10     J  lint'       0 

do. 

18HU 

1     No  ii'ioril. 

do. 

188 

6  '  June       9 

Jnuu         9 

ISht 

2                     9 

11 

188,1 

7                      0 

6 

1884 

4                    7 

10 

1885 

Apr, 

29                    1 

No  record. 

1886 

May 

4                      8 

■I  line         8 

1887 

7  '  No  record.    No  ri-c ord.     | 

1888 

8  ; 

May        31 

No  record. 

1889 

5     May      31 

1890 

Apr. 

26 

No  record. 

do. 

1891 

May 

5 

Jnuu       3  i  Juno       10 

'Largo  uiimbera  in  water. 


Appendix  C. 


YOUNG  SEALS  ARE  BORN  ON  LAND  OR  ICE  ;  DO  NOT 
SWIM  AT  FIRST,  AND  CAN  NOT  NURSE  IN  THE 
WATER. 

No  species  of  seal  in  any  ])art  of  tlio  world.  All  sonisbomon 

,  •      '  Ittiul  or  it'o. 

^nves  birth  to  its  young  in  the  water,  either 
among-  the  sea-bears  and  sea-lions  {OtanUla)  or 
among  the  true  seals  (Phocida.)  In  the  great 
majority  of  species  the  young  are  brought  forth 
on  rocks  along  the  shore,  but  in  a  few  kinds  of 
hair-seals,  notably  the  harps  and  hoods,  they 
are  born  on  the  ice  floes  of  the  far  north. 

Not  only  are  all  kinds  of  seals  born  on  land  Cor    NursinK  impos- 

.      XI,  .         ,  «''^lc "»  water. 

ice),  but  they  remain  there  while  nursiiiff,  for 
seals  can  not  suckle  their  young  in  the  sea;  the 
young  are  unable  to  hold  their  breath  long-,  and 
would  drown  if  they  attempted  to  nurse  in  the 
water. 

However  strange  it  may  seem  to  those  unfa-j|Jj\"""  ."'^•'^is 
miliar  with  the  facts,  all  young  seals  are  afraid  of 
the  water  at  first  and  enter  it  with  great  reluctance. 
At  the  island  of  St.  Paul,  in  August,  we  have  seen 
mother  seals  take  their  young  by  the  skin  of  the 

887 


water. 


oil 


:  J- 


:iM 


>i  1 


'1 


•rif 


388 


REPORTS   OF    BERING   SEA   COMMISSION. 


Voimj,'    «r  IV  Is  back  and  carry  them  out  Into  the  water,  much 

(Iri'iiil  tlic  waUT. 

anuiiiHt  the  will  of  the  young-,  and  have  seen  this 
repeated  Heveral  times  before  tlie  youn<^  were 
j)erinitted  to  hind,  which  they  did  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement  and  fatigue.  Captain  IJryant, 
who  spent  many  years  at  the  Pribih^f  Iwhinds 
as  chief  Government  agent,  states:  "It  seems 
strange  that  an  animal  Hke  this,  born  to  live  in 
tlie  water  for  the  greater  i)ortion  of  its  life,  should 
be  at  first  helpless  in  what  seems  to  be  its  natural 
element,  yet  these  young  seals  if  put  into  it  be- 
fore they  are  five  or  six  weeks  old  will  drown  as 
quickly  as  a  young  chicken.  They  are  somewhat 
slow,  too,  in  learning  to  swim,  using  at  first  only 
the  fore  flippers,  carrying  the  hind  ones  rigidly 
extended  and  p>"*tially  above  water.  As  soon  as 
they  are  able  to  swim  (usually  about  the  last 
week  of  August)  they  move  from  the  breeding 
places  on  the  exposed  points  and  headlands  to 
the  coves  and  bays,  where  they  are  sheltered 
from  the  heavy  surf,  and  where  there  are  low 
sand  beaches.  (Bryant  in  Allen's  Pinnipeds, 
1880,  p.  387.) 

Captain  Musgrave,  who  was  shipwrecked  on 
the  Auckland  Isles  for  more  than  a  year  and  a 
half,  has  published  some  important  notes  respect- 
ing the  sea-lions  of  those  islands.  Concerning 
the  young,   he  states :  '"It  might   be  supijo^^d 


i 


RKPORT   OF    AMEIUfAN   COMMISSIONEHS.  389 

that  these   {uiimals,  even   when  youiijr,    vvoiiM    Y.,„nK  .....Ih 

readily  go  into  the  water- that  heing-one  of  their'"""  ""  ""'"• 

natural  instincts,  but,  stran/re  to  say,  such  is  not 

the  ease  ;  it  is  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty 

and  a  wonderful  display  of  patience,    that  the 

mother  succeeds  in  gettinjr  her  young  in  for  the 

first  time.     I  have  known  a  cow  to  be  three  days 

getting  her  calves  down  half  a  mile  and  into  the 

water,  and,  what  is  most  surprising  of  all,  it  can 

not  swim  when  it  is  in  the  water." 


■■;m 


i 


^'■!f 


>:-  :iiii 


?^^^^■^J 


'"'it; 


Appendix  D. 


'imii 


NATURAL  ENEMIES. 

The  only  important  enemy  of  the  fur-seal  T'le  killer- 
known  to  man  is  tlie  killer-whale  {Orca  ffladia- 
tor).  These  killers  visit  the  islands  on  their  way 
north  about  the  end  of  April,  and  return  in  Sep- 
tember. In  the  fall  they  hug  the  sliore,  keeping 
in  the  kelp  or  moving  about  the  rocks  as  near  in- 
shore as  they  find  sufficient  water  to  float  in. 
They  are  sometimes  seen  in  squads  circling 
round  and  round  the  islands,  catching  young 
pups  by  dozens.  At  first  the  pups  are  said  to 
pay  no  attention  to  the  enemy,  sometimes  swim- 
ming right  into  the  killer's  mouth,  but  before  the 
end  of  the  seaHon  they  learn  what  the  ])rcsence 
of  tlie  killer  means,  and  rush  out  of  the  water 
and  up  on  the  rocks  wlienever  one  comes  near 
shore.  The  killers  generally  arrive  early  in 
September,  and  remain  as  long  as  tlie  pups  stay, 
which  is  usually'  until  the  latter  pra't  of  No\  am- 
ber. 

301 


;; 

■  J 

'■  i 

J. 
':} 


4 

ii 


'''-Up- 


Appendix    E. 


'If* 


r^^i 


iMi 


FOOD    OF    THE    FUR-SEAL. 

CONTENTS   OF   STOArACIIS   or    FIK-SK.M.S    KILLP:D   AT 
THE  I'UIIilLOF  LSLAXIJH. 

August  l-o\  1801. 

One  Imndred  and  eig-hteen  stouinrlis  of  fur- ,,,,|;,;^;'\'";  ".j/Jjj'JJ. 
seals    were    examined   j(»intly    ))y    tlie    United '''''"'^'• 
States  and  British  leering-  Sea  Commissioners  at 
St.  Paul  and  St.  George  Islai^ds,  Angnst  1   and 
August  3,  1891,  with  the  following  results: 

All  the  stomaelis  were    opened  innnediatelv    C'>"ti^'it8   <>f 

.  *  •    stoiiiiicLu. 

after  the  seals  were  killed.  Xinety-tliree  out  of 
the  one  hmidred  and  eigliteen  were  emptv, 
except  for  the  presence  of  a  little  mucus,  l.ile, 
frothy  slime,  dark  brownish  blood,  and  i^ai,  itie 
worms.  Blood  in  some  form  Avas  ))resent  in  five 
stomachs,  and  nematode  Avorms  about  three 
inches  in  length  were  found  in  most  of  the 
stomachs  opened. 

Twenty  contained  ]iebl)les,  or  |)ebbles  and 
beach-worn  shells,  either  ahMic  or  in  coiiiicction 
with  other  (•(»iit<'nts,  the  ouantitA"  vnr\in<i'  from 
from  a  singk'  small  pebble  to  a  handful. 


27  Hi- 


-o(» 


■  i 


■^f 


393 


CI-  i\ 


111 


394 


REPORTS   OF    BERING   SEA   COMMISSION. 


contentH  of     Four  cbiitaiued  beaks  of  squid  or  cuttlefisli 

stoiuai'lis. 

(identified  by  Dr.  William  H.  Dall  as  probabl}- 
Gonatits  fahricii),  of  which  three  sets  were  in  one 
stomach,  two  sets  in  another,  and  one  each  in 
the  remaining  two. 

Two  contained  fish  bones,  of  whi(;h  one  con- 
sisted of  the  vertebrse  and  a  few  other  bones  ot" 
a  cod  (Gaddus  morrhua);  the  other  the  ear 
bones  of  a  similar  fish. 

One  contained  a  large  Isopod  crustacean 
(identified  by  Prof  Sidney  I.  Smith  as  "  appar- 
ently a  species  of  Bojinela,  a  genus  very  close  to 

^ga"). 
One  contained  a  small  bit  of  kelp. 

CONTENTS      OF     STOMACHS     OF     FUR-SEALS    KILLED 
IN    THE    NORTH    PACIFIC    OCEAN. 

April  22-May  1,  1892. 

Examination     The    stomaclis    of    104   fur-seals   killed   by 

iiiikIc    at    Wash-  '' 

iugtou.D.c.  pelagic  sealers  in  the  North  Pacific  off  south- 
eastern Alaska,  April  22-May  1,  1892,  between 
latitude  56°  45'  and  58°  58',  and  mostly  sixty 
to  eighty  miles  from  shore,  were  examined  by 
the  naturalist  of  the  United  States  Fish  Com- 
mission steamer  Albatross.  Of  the  104  stomaclis, 
67,  or  64.4  per  cent,  were  empty.  Of  the  remiiin- 
ing  37,  30  contained  37  fishes  and  18  coutaiuj  1 
72X  s{piids  or  cuttlefish. 


REPORT   OF   AMERICAN   COMMISSIONERS. 


395 


Most  of  the  stomachs  contaimng  food  have    coiitontu    of 

StolllUl'llH. 

been  submitted  to  us  for  examination,  and  the 
lishes  have  been  identified  by  Dr.  Tarleton  H. 
Bean,  Ichthyologist  of  the  United  States  Fish 
Commission. 

Of  the  30  containing  fishes,  15  contained  red 
rock  fish  or  rock  cod  {Sehastichthys,  5  of  which 
were  found  in  1  stomach,  making  19  in  all),  2 
contained  salmon,  2  pollock  (PoUacliius  chalco- 
grammus),  2  ling,  1  stickleback  {Gasterosteus 
catajjhradus),  and  9  small  fishes  too  much  digested 
to  admit  of  ready  identification.  Two  contained 
pebbles,  and  several  intestinal  worms. 

Although  squids  were  found  in  only  18  of  the 
37  stomachs  containing  food,  a  large  number 
were  generally  found  in  each  stomach — as  many 
as  419  beaks  in  one  instance,  and  319  in  another. 
In  all,  1,456  beaks,  representing  728  squids, 
were  found  in  the  18  stomachs,  an  average  of 
40^  to  each  seal.  Owing  to  the  small  size  of  the 
individual  beaks,  particularly  those  of  the 
younger  squids,  many  were  probably  lost  in 
emptying  and  transferring  the  stomach  contents, 
so  that  the  number  here  given  is  certainly  below 
the  number  originally  contained. 


u 

-  ;«■ 


;,if 


39G 


REPORTS   OF    BERING    SEA    rOMMFSSION. 


Conriiisioii  as  to     TliG  examination  of  these  stomachs  shows  tluit 

I'dod  mill  I'eediuj;.  .  .      ,  , 

tlie  fur-seals  are  chiefly  surface  feeders,  tiuj  only 
food  found  from  moderate  depths  bein<^  the  red 
rock  fish  or  rock  cod  {Sehastirlithys),  of  wiiich  all 
the  specimens  obtained  belong  to  a  species  of 
whose  haunts  and  habits  nothin<^  is  known. 

Note. — A|)pendix  P],  on  the  food  of  tlie  fur- 
seal,  has  been  completed  since  the  foreg-oiug- 
report  and  Appendices  A  to  D  were  written. 

Thomas  C.  Mendenhall. 
C.  Haut  Mekkiam. 
Washington,  D.  C,  June  SO,  1802. 


SUBJECT-INDEX  OF  CASE. 


Acquiescence.    (Sec  Great  Britain;  jurisdiction  (ivor  Ueiin^r  Sea.)  "'^*" 

Action  of  the  ruitcil  States  lelativc  to  Alaska  simc  tju.  cnsIoii 78-^(5 

(See  nho  Alasl^a  ;  .Jurisiiiction  over  |{crin;n-  Sea.) 
Act  of  C'onfjiess,     (.See  Alaska,  action  ol' Con^-rcss.) 

Act  of  reprodnctiou jjq 

Acts.     (iVw  Statutes.) 
Age: 

of  Lulls lOy 

of  cows J  fjj 

Alaska: 

Action  relative  to,  since  the  cession 7S-85 

Action  of  Conyicss 78-82 

Action  of  Executive ><0  ,si 

Decision  of  United  States  courts )^  I 

Boundaries  of 70 

Cession  of,  to  the  United  States 70-77 

Cession  unincumbered 72 

Furs  exported  from,  durin;;  Russian  occupancy 73 

Laws  of  United  States  relatinf{  to 78-84 

Meaning  of  term  in  treaty  of  1867 SO 

Motives  for  pure ■  lase  of,  by  United  States 7.-, 

Peninsula  of j3 

Products  of 77 

(See  also  Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 
Alaska  Commercial  Company: 

Capital  of,  $2,000,000  ..". 134 

Lease  to Ijj^ 

Alaskan  seal  herd : 

ami  Russian  herd,  distinction  between }).l 

Characteristics  of ()4_  2!),5 

Classification  of 9y 

DevVeiise  of.     (See  Decrease.) 

Deplt  ''ion  of,  by  pelagic  sealing 216 

Does  not  enter  inland  waters 127 

397 


I 

t 


«»' 


iM 


4 


398 


SUBJECT  INDEX    OF   CASE. 


AliiHknn  sesil  berrt— ContiiuiMl.  Pap". 

Dues  not  land  at  (iuailaliijto  iHlands 129 

Uoex  not  land  ex('0]>t  on  i'ril>ilot'  Islands 120 

Dons  not  niinKlii  with  RiisHian  herd 96 

Haliits  of 8!) 

iioiiin  of yi 

Loss  if  destroyed 269 

Migration  of 122 

Piojierty  in 300,  302 

Protection  of.     (.*«Ve  Protection.) 

ReHnlts  if  not  itrotected 28.5 

lieMults  of  protecting 285 

Seal-skin  indnstriep,  dependence  on 268 

Unprotected  conilition  of 237 

Alaskan  seals,  enumeration  of,  inipossiltle 93 

Aleutian  Islands 13 

Con<|uest  of,  by  Russians 22 

Discovery  of 21 

Early  expeditions  to 22 

Algerian  coral  fislieries 335 

Amendment  of  1874.  relating  to  management  of  rookeries 136 

Anieriean  comjietition  for  Northwest  Coast 32 

American  management ; 

Of  rookeries 133 

Result  of 164 

Antarctic  seals: 

Destruction  of 218 

Do  not  migrate 123 

Arrival  at  tlie  islands: 

Of  bachelors 120 

Of  bulls 108 

Of  cows 108 

Award,  jiayment  of 5 

Bachelors: 

Arrival  of,  at  islands  , 120 

Cause  oi',  entering  the  water 120 

Departure  <tf,  from  islands 122 

Feed  very  little 121 

Life  on  the  hauling  gnmnds 120 

Mingling  with  the  cows 122 

Only,  killed  by  Russians 130 

The  killabie  class 120,152 

Baden-Powell,  Sir  George: 

As  to  females  in  ju'lagic  catch 200 

Opinicni  of,  as  to  possible  catch 290 

Opinion  of,  that  close  season  is  im)iractieable 2."> 

Bering  Island,  d  isco very  of 22 


SUBJECT-INDEX   OF   CASE. 


3'Jl) 


m 


^^ 


Ht'rinjj  Sea :  p,,^,,, 

Boiiiiilarioa  of 11 

DiiiicnaiuiiH  of H 

Discovery  of  shores  aiul  islands  of ^0 

Fisliiiig  rights  in,  not  thrown  open  by  treaties  of  1M2I  anil  lf<2'> "it -57,  til -70 

Fof?s  in I<(,  L'(j| 

Foreif^n  tnide  or  linntiiij;  in,  proliiliited  by  Russia 41',  .">l 

Geojirraiihical  sketcli  of ll-ir» 

Islands  in II 

Jurisdietuin  over,  always  exi'rciscd  for  ]irotei'tiiin  of  fiti'-srals 1 1,  57 

Jurisdiction  over  easterly  ]>art  of,  transferred  to  the  rnited  S(:!).,'s 7(1,  7»j 

Jurisdiction  over,  not  exercis«Ml  for  all  |nir)ioseH .^,7 

Location  of U 

Not  inclinled  in  term  "Pacitic  Ocean" 52,  51,  2!t7,  I^Ol' 

Oecnimtion  of  shores  of :>() 

Other  names  for ,-,;{ 

Pelajtie  sealing  in,  prohibited  by  Kussia 1 1_  17 

Pojuilation  of  shores  of I,-, 

Portion  of,  ceded  to  the  United  States 70,  7(i 

Proclamation  of  President  relatinj!;  to Kit 

Prohibition  of  pelagic  sealing  in 25li 

Protests  not  directed  against  jurisdiction  over ,-,0 

San  Diego  enters,  in  1 W3 Isx 

Sealing  vessels  did  not  enter,  before  decrease  began ik5 

Shallow  portion  of 11 

Ukase  of  1821,  declaratory  of  Russia's  rights  in 41 

Vessels  seized  in K2 

When  shores  of,  l)ecame  liussinn  territory 25 

(Sec  aJ«o  Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea;  Ukase  of  1821;  United  States; 
Russia.) 

Bering  Sea  Commission : 

Report  of,  as  to  cause  of  decrease I77 

(Sre  also  \merican  Bering  Se.i  Comniissioncrs.) 

Bering  Strait 12 

Discovery  of 21 

Bering,  Vitus : 

First  expedition  of 20 

Second  expedition  of 21 

Birth  of  pups ilS 

Aquatic,  impossible 102 

Number  at 113 

On  kelp  beds,  imi)ossibIe 101 

Time  of 5)8 

Birthrate  not  atfected  by  killing  certain  number  of  ninlf  seals I.54 

Black  pups yg 


Si 


m 


J 


i:1 


M 


_  ;i 

I 

4 


400 


SUBJECT-INDEX   OF   CASE. 


]t()at-]>n1t(>r.  (See  Pelagic  Moalers.) 
Hoiit-HteiTtT.  («V«e  Peliigic  sealers.) 
UouiidtirieH: 

Of  Alaska 70 

Of  Itoiiiijr  Sia 11-13 

lirreiUii);  ^roiiiul!* ill 

JlroediiiK  seiiis  protected  from  disturbance 152 

Bristol  l!ay 12,24 

UritiNli  coiiipctition  for  Northwest  Coast 29 

JJuUs 107 

Age 107 

Arrival  of,  at  islands 108 

Arrival  of  the  cows 108 

tJonllicts  between 108 

Conflicts  between,  in  1801 174 

Dejiartnro  of,  from  islands 112 

Fasting  of,  on  the  rookeries Ill 

Ferocity  of 122 

Idle,  vigorous 173 

Lund  on  same  rookery 108 

No  lack  of,  on  the  rookeries 172 

Organizing  their  harems 109 

I'ower  of  fertilization lOtt 

.Seldom  seen  below  Haranotl'  Island 124 

Sutlicient,  preserved  for  breeding  purposes 174 

Vitality  of 112,159 

Weight 107 

Winter  near  Fa irweather  Ground 124 

Canadian  investment:.     (>S'ee  Investment,  Canatlian.) 

Canadian  testimony  as  to  number  of  females  in  pelagic  catch 201 

C.inoc  used  by  Indian  hunters 189 

Cape  Horn  rookeries 229 

Cape  of  (iood  Hoi>e.  protection  of  seals  at 224 

(,'api'  I'riiice  of  Wales 12 

(.'aspian  Sea  regulations  protecting  hair-seals 228 

Catch  of  sealing  vessels.     (.S^ee  Pelagic  catch.) 

Cattle,  seals  managed  like 148 

Cause  of  death  of  pups  on  the  rookeries 215 

Cause  of  decrease.  (AVe  Decrease.) 
Causes  of  migration  of  Alaskan  herd. 

Census  of  seal  life  impossible 93 

Cession  of  Alaska.    (.See  Alaska.) 

(•eylon  Pearl  Fisheries 2,S.T 

Characteristics  of  the  Alaskan  herd 94, 295 

Charters.     (.Sec  Russian  American  Company.) 
Charts : 

Decrease  shown  by  (portfolio  of  charts,  A  to  K ) 1(58 


8rBJE«T-IM)i:x    OF   <  ASK. 


401 


CliHrts — ContiiiiH'd.  I'oK'' 

Of  Piicilif  Ocean 5-' 

Of  rookerieH  (|Kirtt'oli(i  of  t-liaits,  A  to  K  ) 165 

Cliief  iniinnger  of  KiiHsiiiii  Aiiu-riiNiii  ( 'oloiiit-s.  powers  of 3<{ 

('hiii«8e  inaikets 37,  130 

("liiuese  trade 37 

(.'laiiii  of  the  leHsees  for  daiiiii^es 'JHd 

Chiini  of  the  ITiiiteil  States  Itefore  tlie  'rrilmiial 2fl!t 

Chiiin  of  the  I'nited  .States  for  damages '2Hti,  2it1> 

C'laiiiiH  to  tlie  Northwest  Coast  id'  America 2(5 

ClaHsitieatioii  of  dainu<;es 28(» 

Of  ini};ratin^  seals 125 

Of  [Mips 99 

Of  seal8 9« 

Climate  of  I'riliilof  Islands 18,  90 

Close  season ; 

As  a  means  of  protection  td'  seal  herd 253 

Dr.  Georjje  I  >a  wson  on 255 

Establishment  of,  for  hair-seals  by  New  niiiiill:iiid 225 

Impraeticahlo  for  jirotection  id"  seal  herd   2.54 

Professor  Huxley  on 256 

Proposed  by  Lord  Salisbury 239 

Sir  (ieorgc^  Baden-Powell 255 

Sir  Julian  Pauiu'efote  on 255 

Coast  of  northwestern  America.     (Set-  Northwest  Coast  of  America.) 

Coast  thrown  open  to  trade  for  ten  years 58 

Coition ; 

I)o(^s  not  take  place  in  water 110 

Theact(d" 110 

Colonial  waters.     (See  Waters  tcranted  to  Kussiiin  .\nu'rican  Company.) 
Commander  Islands: 

Discovery  of 22 

Drives  on IfiO 

Resources  of 22 

Commission,  .Joint.     (See  .Joint  (!onimissioii.) 

Commissioiu'rs.     ( Nr  .loint  Connnission. ) 

Commissioners,  Aiuoricau.     {See  Anutrican  IJeriiiK  Sea  CoUHiiissidiiers.) 

Coraiiarison  of  leases  of  1870  anil  1890 1  Ki 

Conclusion 295 

Concurrence  of  nati<nis  in  protection  of  hair-seals 227 

Condition  of  natives: 

Improvement  in 1 10-1 15 

Under  American  control I  (2 

Under  the  Russian  Company Ill 

Condition  of  rookeries,  1S80  nnd  IX'M 167 

Conflicts  of  bulls  in  1891 174 

271f 51 


f 

m 

*  i 

si}'' 


.1^' 


■Mil 


■r 

■■■m 


,il9 


402 


fillBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


('<iiij{i'enH,     (iS#T  AlHskii.)  PaKf" 

( '(in^irNHiniiitl  iiivrHtiKHtion.    (6V(<  InvoHtiKntion,  CoiiKn'.ssiiiiiiil.) 

Control  hikI  <loiiHHticiitiiin  of  the  HealH 117 

Convention.     (Ser'ViDuty.) 

(  imtrol  of  tritcio.   (.SVc  Jiirittdiction  over  Hcriuy  Sen. ) 

Control  over  Burins  Ht'rt.     (iVfo  .JiiriNdii'tioii  ovur  llt-rinj;  Sen,) 

Cook,  CnptHin,  t>x|iu<liti(Mi  to  Aliukau  witturH 21 

Coral  liHlujrics,    (.Vc  l'"iHlieri»>H.) 

ConrHu  of  niiKration  of  AluNkim  herd 121 

( 'onrni'H  of  aeulinK  vchsuIh ItSb 

Conrts,  dttclHions  of  United  Stutes.     (See  AliiNkii.) 

Cows : 

Age  of 113 

Arrival  of,  at  ixlaudH 1( w 

Death  of,  caiiHt-H  death  of  their  piiiw 115 

Departure  of,  from  islands 1  ll> 

Destrnetioii  of,  by  pelagic  Healing 197 

Eighty  to  ninety  per  cent  of  pelagic  catch  arc 19S 

Feeding  excursions  of  the IK! 

Gestation  of,  period  of 1 IH 

Harem  life  of  the IIH 

Manner  of  feeding 115 

Mingling  with  the  bachelors 12'.' 

Nourish  only  their  own  pups Ill 

Nnmber  of,  that  a  bull  can  fertilize l(li> 

Number  of  pups  at  birth li;{ 

Number  of,  to  a  harem IIW 

Only  killed  on  islands  by  accident 151 

Protection  of  150 

Scarcity  of,  on  rookeries 173 

Speed  of,  while  swimming 119 

Weight  of 112 

Cruisers : 

Duty  to  be  performed  by 44,  63 

Object  of  dispatching,  to  Bering  Sea  in  1820  and  1821 44 

Orders  to  American 80-84 

Plans  for,  in  1820  and  1821 , 43 

Plans  for,  in  1854 64-fi6 

To  remain  in  Bering  Sea  till  whalers  leave 65 

To  watch  and  warn  whalers  in  colonial  wateis 63,67 

(See  aho  .Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

Damages : 

Clause  of  trea  ty 5,  286 

Claim  for,  by  I'liited  States : 286,  .302 

Classification  of 286 

Of  lessees,  basis  of  computation  of 290 


■^i 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OP   CASE. 


403 


I 


21 

121 

'.'5« 


113 

lOS 

115 

ll!» 

1»7 

19H 

IKJ 

113 

113 

115 

122 

lit 

Ktit 

113 

imt 

151 
150 
173 
119 
112 

44,63 
44 

80-84 
43 

64-66 
65 

63,67 


5,286 
»86, 302 
286 
2»0 


DamaKVH — Coiitiiiiind.  ■'*)(«' 

To  (ilovuriiiiiKtit,  liiiHiH  of  I'ltiiiiiiitatlon  ^A' 288 

To  I«>»H««'8  of  tin-  JNlanilH 289 

Deiid  piipH.     (Sue  \'\\\m,  iluiid.) 

Dentil  of  iinp  ciiiiHt'tl  )i,v  ilriifh  of  cow 115 

Dpiitli  of  piipH  on  the  rookcrieH.     (See  Piipn,  <li'iiil.) 

DeriHioii  of  TribmiHl,  prayer  for 301 

DeciHioim  of  lluited  HtateH  (courts.     (.NV«  Alanka.) 

DecreuHe ; 

Aiiioriraii  CoinniiMwioiu'rH  on  cunse  of 177 

As  seen  along  the  coaHt 169 

As  seen  in  1891 lt>8 

As  seen  on  I'riltilof  iHlnnils 1»J0 

Began  1884  or  1885 165 

Cunse  of 172 

Caused  by  excessive  killing  l»y  man 176 

Caused  by  pelagic  sealing 176 

Coni|>arison  of,  with  increase  of  Healing  Heet 1^5 

Conclusion  as  to 296 

Did  not  begin  till  scaling  vesHols  entered  liering  8i'a 185 

Dr.  Allen  on  clause  of 177 

Evidence  of 165 

Experts'  opinion  as  to  cause  of I77 

How  determined 93 

Not  caused  by  lack  of  male  seals 172 

Not  caused  by  management 176 

Not  caused  by  raids I74 

Opinions  as  to  cause  of I77 

Opinions  of  Indians  as  to  cause  of I79 

Ojtinions  of  Makah  Indians  as  to  cause  of IgO 

Opinions  of  pelagic  sealers  as  to  cause  of 181 

Period  of  stagnation  before 165 

Shown  by  charts  (A  to  K) 168 

Shown  by  reduction  of  (iiu>ta 169 

Testimony  of  Indian  hunters  as  to I70 

Testimony  of  pelagic  sealers  as  to 169 

Yearly 168 

Decrease  of  seal  herd.     ( See  Decrease. ) 

Departure  from  islands : 

Of  bachelors 122 

Of  bulls 112 

Of  cows 119 

Of  pups 1(H5 

Dependence  of  pup  upon  its  mother 106 

Destriiction  of  nursing  fciualis 209 

Destruction  of  pregnant  female  seals 207 


„ol4 


dii 


"Mil 


m 


'■m 


404 


SlIB.IErT-LNDEX    OF    CASE. 


Dpfeniiinntion  of  ]>OHsil)lo  catcli 

DiiiH'iisioiis  of  Ht-riiij^  Sea 

Dioiucde  IsIhikIh 

Discovery  : 

Of  Aleutian  IsIhikIh - 

Of  Bt'iiiijj  .Strait 

Of  Coiimiiinder  Islands 

Of  I'ribilof  Isiiiiids 

Of  sliorcH  of  HcriiiK  Sea 

Disorganization  of  tlio  rook':ries 

Dis]nite.     (i>ir  I'kasc  of  1821;  Treaty  of  1821;  Treaty  of  IST*.) 

Dispute  between  tlie  IJiiitet,  States  and  (4reai  I.ijiiaiii  as  to  Pacilie  Coast. 

Distance  the  cows  <j;o  in  feedinj;  

Distinction  between  Alaskan  aud  hi'.'^siaii  se.il  herds 

Docinnents,     (S<r  Treaty  of  Arbitration. ; 

Dofis  killed  on  the  islantis 

Domestication  and  control  of  the  seals 

Drive.     (See  Driving.) 

Driving 

Care  taken  not  to  overheat  seals  while 

Expertness  of  natives  in _ 

liui)rovenient  over  Unssian  method  of 

Longest ;  nndcr  American  control 

Longest;  under  Kussian  control _ 

Long ;  stopped  

On  Commander  Islands  more  severe  than  on  1  Mi  hi  lot 

Slowness  of — - 

Duties  on  Alaskan  skins  imported  into  the  I'liited  Slates 

Eastern  Ocean.     (See  Kering  Sea,  other  names  tor.  i 

Elfectsof  l>elagic  sealing 

Einployds: 

In  Canada  and  London _- 

In  seal-skin  industry —  — 

In  United  States 

Enumeration  of  seals  impossible 

Evidence.     (Sir  Treaty  of  Arbitration  of  1H92. ) 

Examination  of  catches  of  vessels  seized 

Examination  of  dead  |>ui)s __ 

Examination  of  pelagic  catch  of  1892 _. 

Extraterritorial  Jurisdiction.     ( ■Sec  .luri,sdietimi,  Estratcrritorial. ) 
Exclusive  rights.     (  Sir  .Furisdiction  over  lierim:  Smm.) 

Exclusive  rights  of  Hu,ssian  American  Company 

(See  uIho  Jurisdiction  over  Hering  Sea;    'ussiuu  American  Company. ) 
Executive,  action  of  relativt^  to  .\lnska.     (.Vf  Alaslia.) 

ExiH'ditioii,  I5eriiig's  first , 

Expeditions,  early  ones  to  Aleutian  Islands 


Page 

2!  HI 
11 
12 

21 
21 
22 

20 
112 

:52 

IKi 
!tl 

V.V.i 
147 

15;-) 

i,-.u 

1.-.7 
ItU 
l(i2 
Ui2 
H)2 
ItiO 

ir>ti 

270 

21ti 

278 
281 
280 

2{Mi 
215 
203 


35,45 


20 


m 

-ill 


SUBJECT-INnEX    OP    CASE. 


405 


'\m . 


Page. 

Falkland  Islatvln,  protectiitn  of  seals  at 221 

rasiiiig  Of  tlie  bulls  i»n  the  lookerit-s Ill 

Kxi'iirHioim  for llti 

Maiiuer  of 115 

Very  little,  by  bachelors.    121 

Fertilisation,  powers  of  bull  in lOJt 

Firearms : 

Forbidden  on  islands 133 

Used  by   vliite  hunters litO 

Used  in  pelajjie  sealinjf 188 

Fisheries : 

Algerian   coral 23.') 

Australian  jiearl 2;W 

Ceylon  jiearl 233 

Irish  oyster 232 

Mexican  pearl •J'M't 

Norwegian  whale 23(i 

Panama  pearl 23f> 

Protection  of,  by  France 234 

Sardinia,  conil 23.5 

Scotch  herrinji;   232 

.Sicilian  coral 235 

Statutes  protecting 22}) 

Fleet  of  sealing  vessels.    (.Sc  Sialin  ^  licet.) 

Fogs  in  Bering  .Sea 18,  2(!1 

Food  of  the  seals 110 

Foreign  vessels.     (.S'ec  Foreigners;  .Iiirisdiction  over  Bering  .Sea.) 

F'/reigners: 

Abandoned  all  business  in  Okhotsk  and  Kanu'hatka 4H 

Carried  on  no  reyulur  iiade  in  Hering  Sea 51 

Contracts  with,  rn milled 4", 

Forbidden  to  reside  or  carry  on  busines.s  in  Kamchatka  or  Okhotsk tti-49 

Officials  ordered  to  dri  \  c  them  away  4!t 

Their  presence  in  Russian  waters  illegal 48 

Trade  of,  on  Noit Invest  t'oast 51 

(See  also  .hirisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

Fort  Koss 28 

French  legislation  for  jirotectiou  of  fisheries 234 

Fur  (Joninany.     (See  Russian  Ameri(-an  Company.) 

Fur  industry.     (See  Furs.) 

Fttrriers: 

American,  opinions  of,  as  to  the  need  of  protection 245 

American,  testimony  of.  as  to  number  of  females  in  peliigie  catch 202 

British,  opinions  of,  as  to  need  of  jirotectiou. 243 


^. 


,.,(,, 


I 


i 


406 


SUBJECT-INDKX    OF   CASE. 


m 


i-'iirriiTH — (.'oiitiiiiied.  Page. 

Kritish,  teHtiinouy  of,  as  to  iielii^ic  cntcli 198 

Fnjuch,  (i]iiiii<>iiH  of,  as  to  ncfd  of  protiictioii 244 

Fiii-h: 

Early  voyages  in  search  of 22 

Large  quantities  hrouglit  from  ('oinniiiiKler  Islands  by  Hossof 22 

Quantities  of,  exi)orted  during  liusNiun  occupancy  of  Alaska 73 

Value  of,  known  to  American  negotiators 74 

Value  of,  taken  from  Bering  Sea  prior  to  1867 73 

(See  alto,  Fur-seals). 
Fur-seal  industry      (.See  Furs;  Fnr-seals.) 
Fur-seals : 

First  found  on  Bering  Island  by  Bering 22 

Harvest  expected  from 42 

Jurisdiction  over  Bering  8ea  always  exereiMed  for  protection  of 57 

Killing  of,  at  sea  to  be  prevented 44 

Laws  of  United  States  relating  to 78-84 

Most  important  )tiirt  of  colonial  enterjirises 02,  {i3 

Protection  of,  reason  why   K'ussia  excluded  Bering  Sea  IV.ini  efteet  of 

treaties 5!) 

Reduction  in  number  killed 42 

Revenue  yielded  by,  to  United  States 77 

Right  to  i)roteet  Alaskan,  passed  to  the  Ignited  States 72,  7f> 

Russia's  rights  over,  passed  to  the  United  States 72 

Whaling  company  ])rohil)ited  from  cruising  in  waters  freiiuented  by  .. .  (i8 
{See  alio  Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 
Fur  trade.     (iVet*  Russian  American  Company.) 

Gaflf,  used  by  pelagic  scalers 194 

Game  laws 230 

Geographical  sketch  of  Bering  Sea 11-1.5 

Geographical  sketch  of  I'ribilof  Islands 15-20 

Gestation,  period  of 113 

Government  .agents 115 

Government  claim  for  damages 287 

Government  working  impracticable 138 

Gray  pups 99 

Killing  of,  stopped 131 

Great  Britain : 

Acquiesced  in  control  exercised  by  Russia  and  United  States 69,  298, 302 

Burden  on,  to  show  that  Rnssia's  rights  over  Bering  Sea  lost ,57 

Concedes  that  Russia's  rights  over  seal  fisheries  iiassed  to  United  States  72 
Modus  n'rewrfiof  1892  between  the  United  Statesand.    (>:ie  Motliin  t'ivendi 

of  1892,) 
Protest  by,  against  ukase.    {See  Protests  iigainst  ukase  of  1821.) 

Should  concur  with  I'iiited  States  in  regulations 302 

Trade  of,  on  N<U't  Invest  Const 51 


SUBJECT-INDEX   OF   CASE. 


407 


Grt;at  Britain — ContiiiiuMl.  .      .  '         '  Tago. 

Treaty  "f  1790  between  Simiii  and.    (iS«c  Treaty  of  1790  bet weoii  Oreat 

Britain  and  .Spain.) 
Treaty  of  1818  betwt-vn  the  Uniti'd  Statt-.s  and.    (See  Treaty  of  181«  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.) 
Treaty  of  1825  between  Russia  and.    (iSee  Treaty  of  182.")  between  Great 

Britain  and  KusKia.) 
Treaty  of  Arbitration  of  1892  between  the   United  States  and.     (See 
Treaty  of  Arbitration  of  1892.) 
Great  Ocean.     (See  Pacific  Ocean.) 

Guadalupe  Islands,  seals  of,  a  diti'erent  species  from  Alaskan  seals 129 

Guns.     (<See  Firearms.) 
Habits : 

Of  the  Alaskan  seal 89 

(<S'e<;  Pribilof  Islands ;  Alaskan  seal  herd:  Pups;   Bulls;  Cows;   Bache- 
lors; Migration.) 
Hair-seal : 

British  protection  of 225 

Newfoundland  regulations  concern inj; 225 

Protection  of,  by  Jan  Maycn  regulations 227 

Protection  of,  in  Cas])ian  Sea 228 

Protection  of,  in  White  Sea 228 

Harbors  at  Pribilof  Islands 18 

Harems : 

Cow's  life  in  the 113 

Disorganization  of  the 112 

Number  of  cows  in  the 109 

Organization  of 109 

Hauling  grounds 92 

Historical  and  Jnrisdirtional  que.stions.     (Sic  part  tirst.) 

Home  of  the  fur-seal 91 

Hovering  acts  of  Great  Britain 237 

Hudson's  Bay  Company 29 

Hunters.     (See  Indian  hunters  and  Pelagic  sealers.) 

Hunting,  manner  of,  seals  by  Indians 1 189 

Ignalook  Island 71 

Improvement  in  treating  skins 163 

Improvement  over  Bussian  methods  of  taking  seals  161 

Inability  of  pup  to  swim 99 

Increase 164 

Ceased  in  1880 165 

How  determined 93 

How  shown 161 

Besultiug  from  American  msinagement 164,  296 

Under  |{u.ssian  niaiiagena>nt  131 

Increase  of  seal  herd.     (iN>f  Increase. ) 


1*1 


4 


•♦dj 


408 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


—^ 

' '  ^M 

■V 

*  ^'i^jT 

^•N 

■s- 

\f, 

vnK. 

-k4^ 

.■\.'.''; 

'^^•(' 

\<KV 

lucrease  of  scaling  fleet 

Indian  hnntciH: 

Deseriptiun  uf  H]ietu',  <;au()c.  Hn<l  niiiniu'r  <il  Ijiiiiliii;;'  Ity 

Lose  very  few  seuls  Htruck 

Opinions  of,  »8  to  neeti  of  protection 

Indians : 

Catcli  of,  along  coast 

Employed  as  LtinterH  prior  to  1X85 

Makab  on  ranee  of  decreaHc 

Opinions  of,  as  to  cause  of  decrease 

Seal  hunting  along  the  coast  liy 

Industry.     (St;?  Fur-seals;  L^calskiii  indiiHtr.v.) 

Inhabitants  of  Pribilof  Islands.     (Sir  aisii  Natives) 

Introduction 

Investigation: 

Congressional,  of  1876 

Congressional,  of  1888 

Investigation  of  managnuieut.     (A^r  Invest iif.-it  ion,  ('<iii.!;rcs:<ioii;il.) 
Investment,  Canadian : 

In  pelagic  sealing  in  1X90,  cxagni'''"t»''l 

In  pelagic  sealing  in  1891 

In  sealskin  industry  in  1890 

Insignificant 27S. 

Questional)le 

Investments 

Canadian  and  ITnitrsd  c^iales.  cuiiiimrcil 

French  and  Canadian,  roniparctl 

In  1890,  Britisli  and  Canadian,  contrasts. 1  

In  1891,  Canadian  and  Britisli,  contrasted 

Irish  oyster  fisheries 

Islands  in  Bering  Sea 

Italian  legislation 

Jan  Mayen  hair-seal  fishery 

Joint  Commission 

Report  of 

Jurisdiction : 

Claimed  by  ukase  of  1821  i>ver  North  I'acKie  Occiin 

Russia  relinquished,  claimed  over  Pacitic  Ocean 

Extraterritorial 

British  hovering  acts 

By  France,  protecting  Algerian  coral  fisheries 

By  Italy,  protecting  coral  tibheries 

By  Mexico,  protecting  pearl  fisheries 

By  Norway,  protecting  whales 

By  Panama,  protecting  pearl  fisheries 

In  r«lation  to  fisheries 


Pag*. 

18.S 

189 
190 
247 

187 
1S7 
180 
179 
187 

20 
1 

137 
137 


276 
277 
275 
.'SO,  298 
281 
275 
279 
281 
277 
272 
232 
14,20 
235 
227 
7 
7,8 

38 
56 
231 
237 
235 
235 
2,36 
236 
236 
230 


.r  V 


ill 


SUBJECT-IXDEX    OF    CASE. 


409 


I'aRe, 
232 
233 
237 
232 
237 


.Inrisdiction — Pontiinu'd.  . 

Irish  oyster  fisheries 

Protecting  Aimtralinii  pearl  iisbories 

Quarantine  act 

Scotch  herring  fishery  net 

St.  Helena  act 

Jurisdietiuu  over  Bering  Sea:  

Exercise  of,  by  Russia  : 

Acquiesced  in  by  Great  Britain fi9. 2iW,  302 

After  the  treaties  of  1824  iiud  182.") Hl_70 

Always  exercised  for  protection  of  fur-seitis .57,  295,  297, 301 

Cruisers  should  be  constantly  maiutaiued  in  lb-ring  Mea 43 

Foreign   vessels  not   permitted   to  Inmt,   fish,  or  trade  in   Hering 

Sea 42. 47,  fil-70 

Foreignerg  to  be  driven  from  Hering  Sea 4 1, 48 

Not  exercised  for  all  purposes 57 

Not  relinquished  by  treaties  of  1824  and  182.") ;">.">,  ")6,  61-70 

Pelagic  sealing  ]irohibited 44 

Pigott  aftair 45_4f< 


42 

47 

50 
56 
69 


Prior  to  ukase  of  1821 

Prohibition  against  visiting  wateis  frequented  by  seaolters  or  fur- 
seals 

Protests  not  directed  against 

Recognized  by  treat  ies  of  1824  and  1825 

Summary  and  cimclusicuis 

Ukase  of  1821  in  relation  to 41, 49 

Understanding  of  United  States  as  to 7)j 

Exercise  of,  by  United  States 78-85. 207 

Acquiesced  in  by  Great  Hritain  until  1886 69,  298,  .S02 

Right  acquired  by  United  Stales  as  to  easterly  lialf 70.  72.  76,  79 

Seizures jj2 

United  States  do  not  rest  their  ease  altogether  on  ri'^iit  to    85 

Visited  annually  by  revenue  cutters ^i  §2 


Vessels  seized . 
Radiak  Island : 

Early  expeditions  to  mainland  from 

Settled  by  Shelikof 

Kfineiiing  the  skins 

Killable  class,  The,     (See  Bachelors.) 
Killing: 

Excessive,  cause  of  decrease 

Manner  of,  on  islands 

Killing  grounds: 

Located  near  hauling  grounds 

Methods  employed  on 

2716 52 


82 

27 

26 

163 


176 
163 

161 
163 


I'M 


n 


i: 


410 


SUBJEPT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


Killing  of  rertaiii  number  of  male  seals: 

A  li«iietit 

Docs  not  attVct  liirtlirate 

Killing  seals,  regnlationf*  for 

Killing  iieals  at  sea.     (^See  Pelagic  Healing.) 

Kniswnstern,  island  of 

Kimk()(|uiin  Hay ■ 

Laws.     {See  Statutes.) 

Lease  of  1870 

Allowed  100,000  male  seals  to  be  takou 

Comparison  of,  with  lease  of  1890 

Conditions  of 

Consideration  of 

Fourteen  bids  for 

More  advantageous  than  required  by  la  w 

Practical  workings  of 

Terms  of 

Lease  of  1890 

Comparikou  of,  with  lease  of  1870  .   

More  advi.  ntageous  than  lease  of  1870 

Number  of  bids  for 

Leases.     (S;e  Lease  of  1870  and  Lease  of  1890.) 
LcgiblaT.iou,  protective.     {Ste  Statutes.) 

Letter  by  Dr.  Merriani 

Letters  from  Naturalists.     (See  Naturnlists.) 

Letters  of  Lampson  «fc  Co.  to  British  Government 

Limit  of  100  miles: 

Enabled  Russia  to  protect  Pribilof  lit  rd  in  Hcrinji  Sea. 

Why  chosen 

Location  of  Bering  Sea 

Location  of  Pribiloflslands 

London  seal-skin  industry 

Loriot  affair 

Loss  from  customs  tluties 

Loss  if  Alaskan  herd  destroyed 

To  France  

To  Gruat  Britain 

To  the  world 

To  United  States 

Makah  Indians.     (.*>>(!  Indians.) 

Male  seals  not  injured  by  rcdriving 

Management. 

Approval  of,  by  committees  of  Congress 

Government  ajieiits 

Government  working  impracticable 

Improvement  over  Russian  method  of  taking  seals 


PftRP. 

1.-.4 
1.'4 
150 


71 
12 

134 

14K 
VM 
135 
135 
135 
139 
135 
145 
146 
14t) 
145 


240 

243 

40 

40 

11 

15 

272 

.59 

289 

2(>9 

273 

272 

274 

269 

158 

138 
145 
138 
161 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


411 


Manngenicnt — Continued.  V»ga. 

Miiuuer  of  taking  seala  on  the  islands 155 

Methods  of 137 

Not  a  (^au8e  of  decreuso 176 

Result  of  American 164 

Unlicensed  working  of  rookeries  inipructivaldc 138 

Management  of  rookeries 130 

Ainerlean 133 

Knssiaii 130 

Management  of  the  seals 147 

Contrcd  and  domestication 147 

Ease  of 148 

Manner  of  hunting.     Of  White  and  Indian  linntcrM... 190 

Manner  of  taking  seals  on  the  islands 1.55 

Manner  of  traveling 125 

Maps: 

Of  Pacific  Ocean 52 

(See  aluo  Charts.) 

Maritime  dispute.     (<See  Dispute.) 

Markets. 

China 130 

In  the  past 266 

Means  necessary  for  protection  of  Alaskan  herd 250 

Men-of-war.     (See  Cruisers.) 

Method  of  killing  seals  on  the  islands 163 

Methods  of  managouent 137 

Mexican  legislation 236 

Migration. 

Antarctic  seals  have  no 123 

Course  of  Alaskan  herd 123 

During,  seal  herd  does  not  enter  inland  waters 127 

During,  seal  herd  does  not  land 126 

Lack  of  food  sujtply,  a  cause  of 123 

Manner  of  traveling  during 125 

Of  Alaskan  seal  herd 122 

Of  Russian  seal  herd 129 

Seals  are  east  of  Four  Mt.  Pass  during 125 

Seals  travel  in  irregular  hody 125 

Winter  weather  a  cause  of 123 

Modus  Fivvndi  of  1892 84 

Damages 6 

Pphihitiou  of  seal  killing  pi'uding 4 

Natives  of  Prihilof  Islands,  condition  of.     (.Sec  Coudiliou  dfiiatixes.) 

Naturalists,  opinions  of 242 

Dr.  Henry  H.  Giglioli 241 

Dr.  J.  A.  Allen 242 


■J 


412 


SUBJECT-INDEX   OP   CASE. 


NatiiraliHtH,  opinions  of— Coiitiiuifid. 

Dr.  P.  h.  Sdiiter 

Dr.  Raphael  Klaiicluinl 

Prof<!88or  Lilljoborg 

Professor  Nordeiisliiold 

Professor  T.  H.  Huxley 

Naval  vessels.     (See  Cruisers.) 

New  Archangel,  founding  of 

Newfoundland  regulations  protecting  liiiir  st-ais 

New  Zealand,  protection  of  seals  at 

Noonarbook,  island  of 

Nootka  Sound  controversy 

Nootka  Sound  convention 

{See  aho  Treaty  of  1790  between  Great  Hritiiin  and  Spjiin.) 

Northeastern  Sea.     (See  aho  Bering  Sea,  other  names  Cor) 

North  Paeitic  Ocean,  necessity  of  protecting  ncmI   herd  in 

Northwest  catch.     (.S'ee  Pelagic  catch). 
Northwest  Coast  of  America ; 

American  and  British  trade  on  the 

American  competition  for 

Claims  to 

British  comi)etition  for 

Early  c(»mi)etition  for 

Portion  of,  thrown  open  to  trade  for  ten  ye;ir.s 

Protests  against  Russia's  claim  to,  in  1821 

Russian  competition  for 

Russia  relinquished  claim  to  large  portion  of,  l)y  treaticsof  1S24  an<l  182.5 

Spanish  competition  for 

Visited  by  Cook  in  1778 

Northwest  Company 

Norton  Sound 

Norwegian  legislation 

Number  of  dead  pups  in  1891 

Number  of  male  seals,  killing  of,  a  benefit 

Number  of  seals  allowed  to  be  killed 

Number  of  seals  lost  of  those  killed 

Number  of  seals  to  be  killed  lixed  by  Sccrefary  of  tlie  Ti'casury 

Occupation  of  owners  of  sealing  vessels 

Officers  of  Iniiterial  navy  employed  by  Russian  American  (.'onipuny 

Okhotsk,  Sea  of,  Russian  seal  herd  winters  in 

Open-sea  sealing.     (See  Pelagic  itealing. ) 
Other  seal  herds : 

Destruction  of 

Destruction  of.  caused  by  indiscriminate  killing 

Otter  Island,  sketch  of 

Oi#tit  of  sealing  vessels 


Page. 
240 
241 
241 
241 
240 

28 
225 
222 

71 

:«) 

40 

35 
251 


51 

32 

26 

29 

26 

58 

50 

26 

58 

29 

29 

29 

12,24 

236 

214 

154 

153 

195 

136 

284 

36 

129 


218 

219 

1/ 

18b 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


413 


1 


OvcrdiiviiiK l.-,X 

Skins  Hiiv«>()  wlicii  seals  killt-d  l>y ir»7 

Very  lew  seiilH  killeil  l»y 157 

Oveiheating.     (See  Overdriving.) 
Pacific  Ocean; 

Charts  of 52 

Declarations  of  Rnssia  concerning  tlie  term 53-5(> 

Jurisdiction  over,  relinqnislied  by  Hnssia .56 

Maps  of 52 

Protests  against  ukase  directed  to  cliiiui  of  Jurls'liction  over I9 

Russia's  attempt  to  exercise  Jurisdiction  over,  re.sisteil .|i> 

Term  does  not  ini;lnde  Bering  Hea 52,  .">4,  i'}t7 

Panama  legislation ^30 

Part  lirst 9_)^(j 

Part  second «7-2!»l 

Payment  of  award 5 

Pearl  fisheries: 

Of  Australia 233 

Of  Ceylon 233 

Of  Mexico 23(> 

Of  Panama 23(5 

Percentage  of  female  seals  taken  hy  pelagic  sealers ];)(; 

Percentage  of  pregnant  females  destroyed  by  pelagic  sealing 207 

Percentage  of  seals  lost  of  those  killed j95 

Period  of  gestation j j3 

Pelagic  catch : 

Canadian  testimony  as  to  the  number  of  feuniles 2OI 

Eighty  to  ninety  i>er  cent  female  seals \c)f^ 

Examination  of,  on  vessels  seized 2()(> 

Of  1886 ".  |«, 

Of  1888 ,«4 

Of  1889 ISI 

Of  1890 1«4 

Of  1891 IH-, 

Of  1892,  examination  of 203 

Sir  George  Baden-Powtdl's  statement  as  to  proportion  of  females  in 200 

Testimony  of  pelagic  sealers  as  to  number  of  females  in 205 

Pelagic  sealers: 

Opinions  of,  as  to  cause  of  decrease Igl 

Opinions  of,  a«  to  need  of  ]>rotection 9.|6 

Increase  of  inttxperienced 19;{ 

Testimony  of,  as  to  number  of  females  in  catch 205 

Weapons  used 190 

Pelagic  sealing,  absolute  prohibition  of,   necessary.     (.Sec  Pioliibitiou   of 
pelagic  sealing.) 


m'. 


m 


m 


414  8UB.IECt-INI)EX    OV   CASE. 

IVIajjic  N*<iiIiiiK 297 

A^e  "f  vcNNcls  eunnju'd  in 27'5 

Cc)iii|iiirisoii  of,  Willi  M<!al-Hkiii  industry 7H,K0,  81,277 

Ciinudiiin  invMlnicnt  in  IWK) 275 

CuuHe  of  (leiTeimc 170 

UoHtriid  ion  of  fcniiilc  hoaIm  by 1!>7 

IJcHtriiution  of  (ircfrnant  fcnialoH  by 207, 2<K) 

DiHtiiuce  of,  from  IhIuikIs 2"iH 

EttVcts  of 2ltS 

Fiic-arnis  introduced  in IHX 

History  of 1H7 

Incrnase  of  inexperienoecl  huntiTH  in IJtS 

Indian  linntt^rs,  luaniicr  of IWt 

Indiuns  eniidoyed  as  linnterH  jn-ior  to  11^8") 187 

Muk«'8  the  seals  wild I!t2 

Methods  of l«!t 

Number  of  ixtsoiih  employed  in  ('anadian 278 

Percentage  of  seals  lost  of  thoise  killed  by Ht'i 

Prohibition  of,  b\  Russia '14 

Results  of liK) 

Seals  lost  by  sinking 194 

Seals  lost  by  wounding l!tl 

S)>eculati  ve 282 

Two  ways  in  which  a  seal  maybe  killed  by,  and  not  secured liHI 

Vessel's  outfit,  etc 189 

Vessels  used  in 187 

Waste  of  life  by 190,210 

Peninsula  of  Alaska IH 

Period  between  1802  and  1867 , .  68-70 

Period  between  the  treaties  of  1824  and  1825  and  the  cession  of  Alaska 01-70 

Pigott  atfair 45-19 

Podd  i  n  g 105 

of  seals  on  killing  grounds 103 

Prayer  for  decision 301 

Preservation  of  seal  herd.    {Si-e  Protection  of  seal  herd.) 

Pri  bilof  Islands 15,  89 

Absence  of  harbors 18 

Anchorage  at 18 

Animal  life  of 19 

Climate 18,  !K) 

Decrease  as  seen  on 10(i 

Discovery  of 23 

Geogi'aphical  sketch  of 15-20 

Home  of  the  fur  seal 91 

Inhabitants  of 20 

Locatitm  of 15 


awl 


RUBJEC^T-INDEX    OF    CASE. 


415 


Friiti  lot' lNliiii<lH—( 'nil  till  iD^il. 

Nativi-H,  condition  of,     (.s'(«  C'oiiilitioii  ot'iiiitivcs.) 

H()(ik<!ri<!H i)l 

Schools  on,  eHtaltlislifd 135 

8t.  U«oij;c  InIhikI 17,!tl 

!St.  Pan  1  Islaiul 1«,  !U 

Temii'd  'Mioldeu  1   lamis" "1 

Vejj;eta    on  of 20 

Leases  of.     (See  U»a»e  of  1870,  and  l.oaMi-  of  l«itO.) 

Printed  Caseof  I'liited  StatcN 6 

1)1  viHion  of t) 

Pfivilej^t'M  of  HuHsiaii  Ainericun  C\nii|iany 35 

Proclamation : 

Issued  from  Sitka  in  18til (i? 

Of  Pii'Hidtnt  of  Ihiitcd  states 83 

Frodni'ts  of  Alaska 77 

Prohil)itiou  of  ])vlaKic  scaliiiK  : 

Absolute,  iiedessary 251,  2t)4,  301 

During  a  close  season 253 

In  Bering  Sea 25(> 

liritisli  opinions  of 2.57 

Limited 263 

Within  a  zone 258 

Prohibition  of  seal  killing  iteinliii^  arbitration.     (Sre  Atodiin  lirvmli  of  18'J2.) 

Prohibition  of  use  of  tireariiis 256 

Property  interest  in  seal  herd  jnstilies  indtectioii .S(M) 

Property  of  United  States  in  A laskan  seal  herd 300,  302 

Protection : 

By  Argentine  Kepiiblic,  of  fur-seals 229 

By  Australia,  of  in'ail  lislieries 233 

By  Ceylon,  of  pearl  tishenes L';!3 

By  Chile,  of  fur-seals 221) 

By  France,  of  Algerian  fMual  fisberit's 235 

By  France,  of  tisheries 234 

By  Great  Britain,  of  hair-seal 225 

By  Great  Britain,  of  the  seal 221 

By  Italy,  of  coral  (isherii 235 

By  Japan,  of  fiir-s<'al8 229 

By  Mexico,  of  pearl  lisbfiies 23fi 

By  New  Zealand,  of  fur-seals 222 

By  Norway,  of-  whales 236 

By  Panama,  of  pcnrl  tislpiies 23« 

By  Russia : 

Of  fnrseals 229 

Of  hair-seals 228 

By  Uruguay,  of  fur-seals 229 


''it 


4in 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


i'rotiM'tioii— Coiitiniieil.  P»B» 

Gn-ai  Hriliiin  uiid  I'liited  Httiti'H  «hoiil(l  rtiiu'iir  in  iirotectiii);  MpnU....  302 

NeceSMity  of,  for  cowb 151 

Nerc»Hitj  of,  for  rchI  life 21'I 

Of  AluHktin  lit- 1(1 : 

AiiH'iicttii  finricrs  on 215 

Uritisli  rfco^nition  of  iit'ud  uf 23!) 

By  cloM»'  Ht'iiKon 2511 

By  prohiltitinR  fireaniis 25(5 

By  proliil>itiouof|ii']ii^i('  Nciiliiipr,  (<v<.r  I'loliiliidoiiof  |M'liigirM-iillnjj;). 

By  zone  iibout  tin-  iftlantlH 251< 

CHnHiliun  rcco^nitiun  of  nttceHHity  lor 242 

CloHe  st^aBon  iniJiviiilnM)-  for 254 

ConclusionH  rearlittd  hh  to 249 

Dr.  Blancliurd  on 211 

Dr.  G iglioli  on 24 1 

Dr.  Sclateron 240 

French  funievH  on 244 

Indian  hnntors  on 247 

Joint  Connni8(*ion»M-'H  it'iiort  on 239 

Justified  by  propinty  intcreHt  of  I'nitcd  Mr.tis 300 

London  furriers  on 243 

Means  necpRsiiry  for 250 

United  StateH  iind  (in-iit  Kritain  slioiild  coiirin' in 303 

Necessity  of 238 

Opinions  of  naturalists 240 

Pelagic,  sealers  on 246 

Professor  Huxley  on 240 

Professor  Ijilljeborf;  on 24l 

Professor  Nordeuskiold  on 241 

Various  witnesses  on 248 

Of  female  seals 150 

Of  fur-seals : 

By  Argentine  Republic 229 

By  Chile 229 

By  Japan 229 

By  other  nations 228 

By  Uruguay 229 

Of  hair-seal, 

By  Holland 227 

By  Germany 227 

By  Great  Britain 227 

By  Newfoundland -  225 

By  Russia 227 

By  Sweden  and  Norway 227 


8rB,li:t"T-lNl)EX   OF  CASE.  417 

Pi'ofcction— CoiitinniMl.  „ 
Of  liaii-mful — Coiiliiiued. 

Concurrt'iicn  of  natiuiiH  in 227 

In  CiiBpiiin  Sea 2'_'« 

III  Oi'ueiiland  HslHMy •j'Jl 

In  Whit*  8e» 2L'H 

Of  IriHli  oyittt-r  liedH ^WJ 

Of  land  and  watriM  granted  to  WiHsiiin  Aiiiciican  Ci)iii|mny 41 

(Seeiilno,  Jiii'iHdit.-tion  over  Keriiig  8fH.) 

Of  nmriiip  life  in  oxtiatiTritorial  waterH '2'i\ 

Of  riKhtH  of  RiisNiau  Aiut'iican  Company,  liy  nieaiiH  of  ciuisi-rs i;t,  I  l,t!l-7() 

lit^HiiltH  of,  of  AlaNkaii  lif rd 2K5 

Kemilts  if  Alaskan  licrd  is  not  protcctt'd 2K) 

Of  Scotch  herriii);  ilHlicrifH 2H2 

Of  Heals  at  C'apc  of  Good  llopt' 22t 

Of  81'alH  at  Falkland  iNliindH v2i 

Of  Heals  at  Now  Zealand 222 

Ke>;iilationH  of  1869  for i;{3 

Protection  and  preservation   218 

Protests  ugaiimt  iikase  of  1821 : 

Directed  against  assninption  of  jurisdiction  over  Paeitie  Ocean If) 

Not  directed  against  jurisdiction  over  iJeinig  Sea 4;) 

{Sceaho  Kkase  of  1821.) 

PuP" U8 

Mirth  of j(y 

Hirth  of,  in  water  inipossible 102 

Birth  of,  on  kelp  beds  impossihle n^ 

Classitieation  of <(<) 

Departure  of,  from  islands Kj^j 

Dopeinlence  of,  on  their  mothers jOf; 

Destrnction  of,  by  killing  mothers 115  212 

Inability  to  swim jiy 

Killing  of,  for  food,  proliibited I5I 

Learning  to  swim IQg 

Locomotion  of,  on  Innd 105 

Number  of,  at  a  birth II3 

Podding  of 105 

Tameness  of Hy 

Vitality  of IO7 

Weight  of 99 

Pups,  dead: 

Do  not  die  of  epidemic 216 

Died  of  starvation 21 IJ  215 

Increase  of 213 

Inspected  by  British  Bering  Sea  Commissioners 215 

Number  of,  pricn-  to  1884 212 

2716 53 


if 


:iii| 

!«!! 


418 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF    CASE. 


Pups,  (iHiid — f'ontiiinotl. 

Number  of,  in  1S91 

On  the  rookeries _». 

'''line  ofiippearance  of 

Pup  seals.     (See  Pups.) 

Qiiariiiitine  act 

Qiicstioii  of  damages 

Questions  submitted  to  arbitration .». 

Kaids: 

DilHcult  to  make 

Number  of,  on  rookeries - . 

On  rookeries,  uot  a  cause  of  decreas« 

Katnianof  Island 

KtMisou  pregnant  females  are  taken  by  pehijjic  sealers. 
Kedri  ving 

Mall'  seals  not  injured  by 

liegulations : 

Against  use  of  firearms 

As  to  number  killed 

For  kinin;^ 

Protect  inji  breeding  seals  from  molestation 

Of  1800 


Only  bacliflor  seals  killed  on  the  islands 

HuHsiai..  ii-  i.i>  killing  seals 

To  l>e  firaiMi-JK^d  by  the  arbitrators. 

Ke|die.s  of  .-'  It'll ,  iNtK.     {See  Proteetlon. ) 

iittfort  of  (UMigi'ivwioual  eominittee.     {Scr  Alaska.) 

llHjwirr.'  of  jHiiir     lunmission _ 

UJowiiKi  ictioii.        "•''  Coition.) 

,<  of  iteiac!    Hwuling 

.ui'i:        of  |iro«--naic  Alaskan  herd 

iiesiilts  if  AiimlniiBi  iwmi  is  not  protected 

llevf-niH-.     (Sm-  ""iiitMl  Htates.) 

Kifl»-        '**fle  FiwaBtDB. ) 

Kigi    -•     Riii-Mttii  iinerir.an  Company,     (iSrf  JnniBdictiim  over  Bering  Sea.) 

likMtWliiOK — 


Haiding  L-rnTmrtr 
M;i-aaj>'etii   iii     !■ 

On  Cjjie  Uonn ^ 

On  Knriie  iHiundt;. ., 
On  i^olxiH  Islundtt  . . . 
Raids  on.     (•S'ee  Raid:. 
Ross,  Fori 


iSf   Jiiiuagemeut..) 


Pugn. 
214 
212 
213 

237 
5 
2 

175 
175 
174 
71 
208 
158 
158 

153 
153 
150 
1.52 
133 
152 
130 
3 


7,8^ 

190 
285 
285 


91 
265 

91 
166 
112 

92 

229 
229 
228 

28 


m 

% 


<i\ 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF   CASE.  419 

Russia:  l,„ge. 

Always  recognized  iuterests  of  Knssian  American  Company 60 

Attenip   of,  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over  Pacific  Ocean,  resisted 50 

■    Cession  )f  Alasl^a 70 

Deelarat  ions  regardinf^  term  "  Pacific  Oceiiu  " 58-56 

Object  in  exclndinf,'  HerinK-  Sea  from  etfect  of  treaties 59 

Relinciiiislifcx"  jurisdiction  over  Paciiic  Ocean  and  large  portion  of  coast 

claimed 72,  76 

Rights  of,  as  to  seal  fisheries  passed  to  United  States 70,  302 

Treaty  of  1824  between  United  States  and.     (See  Treaty  of  1824  l)etween 

the  United  States  and  Unssia.) 
Treaty  of  1825  betwecMi  (ireat  Britain  and.     (iSee  Treaty  of  1825  between 

Great  Britain  and  Hiissia.) 
Treaty  of  1867  between  the  United  States  and.     (See  Treaty  of  18G7  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Russia. ; 
(See  also  Jurisdiction  over  Ilering  Sea.) 
Russian  American  colonies.     (See  Russian  American  Company.) 
Russian  American  Company  :- 

A<lministration  of  aflairs  of 3(5 

Charters : 

First  charter 35 

Second  charter ;jg 

Second  charier  (confirmation  of) 61 

Third  charter 61 

Exclusive  rights  of.     (See  .lurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

Fur-seals  most  important  item  of  business  of 62  63 

Fur  trade  in  colonies  carried  on  exclusively  by 35  37 

History  of 34 

Interests  of,  always  recognizeil  by  Russian  (iovernment 60 

Obligations  of 3« 

Oflicers  of  Inii)erial  navy  in  service  of 36 

Organization  of 34 

Outgrowth  of  trading  associations 34 

Paid  no  royalty  to  Oovernment ,37 

Period  from  1862  to  1867 68,69 

Powers  of  chief  manager 3(5 

Protectien  of  wuters  of 41,  46,  47,  61-70 

Rights  iMid  privileges  of 35 

Tradi-  of,  with  Cliina 37 

Whaling  C(»ui)any   prohibited  from   cruising  in   w;iteis  f'rc(|ucnt<Ml    by 

marine  uuimals lig 

(.Se«'  aho  .lurisdiction  over  Bering  S(>a.) 

Russian  competition  for  Northwest  (Joast 26 

Russian  management  of  rookeries 130 

Russian  method  of  taking  seals,  improvement  over Ifil 


;i*iii 


'I 


M 


mM 


420 


SUBJECT- INDEX    OP   CASE. 


it- 


KiiHsiim  soal  luM'd:  Page. 

D      fiiisc  of 21.'() 

I'lociiietioii  hetwet'ii,  iind  Alaskan 91 

llocH  not  luinjrlt?  with  Alaskan  ht-ril 9(> 

Miffi'atidn  iit". . .   '. .  .' 12it 

Winters  in  ><ca  of  Okhotsk \'2'.^ 

Salting  tilt'  skins Uv! 

Sail  Vrnjo.     Enters  litrinf?  Sea  in  1883 188 

Saywanl  case.     (See  United  .States  courts.) 

Schools  on  Pribilot'  iHlunds  established  by  lessees 13") 

Schoonert).     (See  Vessels.) 

Scotch  Herring  I'ishing  Act 232 

Sea  of  Kamchatka.     (Sir  Heriiiij  Sea,  other  names  Cor.) 

Seal,  Alaskan.     (.SVc  Alaskan  seal  herd.) 

Seal  herds  other  than  Alaskan  seal  herd.     (See  Other  seal  herds) 218 

Sealers'  AsHOciation  of  Victoria,  British  Culiunhia,  agreement  as  to  emidoy- 

ment  of  hnnters 193 

Sealers,  white.     (iScc  I'elagic  sealers.) 

Seal  Islands.     (See  Pribilof  Islands.) 

Sealing  licet: 

Comparison  of  increase  of,  with  decrease 185 

Did  not  enter  Herinjj  Sea  before  deitrciuse  be;;an 18.5 

EH'eol  of  seizures  on 18-t 

1880-1885 , 184 

188fi 184 

1887 184 

1888 184 

1889 18 1 

1890 184 

1891 185 

U92 185 

Increase  of .  183 

In  1889,  tonnage  of 277 

In  1889,  value  of 277 

In  1890,  value  of 278 

In  1891,  value  of 277 

Oc(Mipation  of  owners  of 284 

Sealing  in  the  water.     (See  Pelagic  sealing.) 

Sealing  ves.sels: 

Age  of 270 

(.'onrses  of,  in  JJcring  Sea 2,'j8 

(See  hUi)  Vessels.) 

Sca-()(tcis,  lirst  found  on  Heriiig  Island  by  Heriiig 22 

Sealeries.     (Sec   Fiirsealh  and  Si'als.) 

Seal  fisheries,     (.sVc  Fiir-seals  and  seals.) 


STTBJErT-INDEX    OF   CASE. 


421 


t^eals:  (See  also  Alaskan  seal  ht'i«l.)  j. 

Are  (lomrHtic  animals , 

Classilicatiou   of 

Driving  of.     (.See  Drivinj?.) 

Food  of 

How  (lecreusfi  of.  dt'termincd 

How  iurreasci  of,  dctemiiued 

Like  domestic  cattle 

Male,  lack  of,  not  cause  of  decrease 

MalC;  not  injured  l>y  redrivinjf 

Male,  .sufficient,  preserved  for  breedinfjr  piirjioscs 

Management  of 

Manner  of  taking,  on  the  '."da'ids 

Nursing  females,  destruction  of,  by  pelagic  sciiling 

Of  Ticrra  del  Fuego 

Proteition  of.     (Sec  Protection.) 

Sex  of,  can  not  be  distinguished  in  the  water 

Spied  of,  while  swinnning 

Wounding  of,  by  ])elagic  sealing ., 

Seals,  Antarctic.    (Sei-  Antarctic  seals.) 
Seals,  female — 

Eighty  to  ninety  per  cent  of  pelagic  catch  are 

Percentage  of,  ta ken  by  pelagic  .sealers 

Seals  lost  by  sinking 

Sciils  of  the  Cinadaliipo  Islands,  a  di)r<:rent  species  from  Alaskiiii  se;ils 

Seals,  jir'gnant  females,  destruction  of,  by  ]iclagic  sealers 

Sealskii.  industry 

Chinese  markets ;^7 

Dependence  on  Alaskan  herd 

Growtli  of 

In  Great  Britain 

Ill  Great  Britain,  ca]>ital  invested  in 

In  Great  Britain,  number  of  emi)loy cs  in 

In  the  past,  markets  for 

In  the  past,  sources  of  snitply  for 

In  the  ]>resent,  sources  of  8up|)ly 

In  the  United  States 

Investnunits  in 

Loss  i  f  herd  destroyed 

Need  of  regular  supply  of  skins  for 

Nnm))er  of  persons  employt'd  in , 

Sealskins: 

Cost  of  dressing  and  dyeing 

Cost  of  mauiifarturing 

Improvement  in  method  of  treating 

Keuehiug 


150 

W 

llfi 
!t3 
93 
148 
172 
158 
173 
147 
1.5.5 
209 
123 

1!)7 
Hit 
191 


198 
197 
194 
129 
207 
2(i4 

i;{0 

2li.S 
2(i7 
271' 
272 
279 
2t)(i 
2(i4 
2fi8 
270 

.;7."> 

209 
274 

281 

272 

270 

i(;;i 
ii;:; 


''1 

li- 
fe 
ii  - 


ii.'i' 


ji 


Ii 


4 


422 


SUBJECT-INDEX   OP   CASE. 


Si.'iilHkiiia— Continnod.  Page. 

Number  of,  imported  into  United  States 270 

I'rici;  i,.  London  market  of 271 

.SaltinK;  the 163 

Si'x  of  the  aninnils  can  be  told  from 198 

Seizures: 

EHV'cts  of,  on  sealing  fleet 184 

Of  vessels  in  Jlcriug  Sea 82 

Soj)arat<'  reports  of  Commissioners 8 

Sex  of  seals  can  not  be  diatin>;uisbed  in  the  watur 197 

Sbelikof,  settled  Kadiak  Island 26 

Shores  of  lU-rinj;  Sea  : 

Discovery  of 20 

0('Cii]>ation  of 20 

Wlieu  lieeame  Kussian  territory 25 

ShotfiuD.     (See  Firearms.) 

Sinking  of  seals  killed  by  i)elafjic  sealers 194 

Sinkiuf);,  use  of  ;;ntf  to  secure  seals 194 

Sitka,  founding  of 28 

Skins.     {Sfc  Sealskins.) 

SlaujAliter  of  l«fiS 132 

240,000  bachelors  killed 133 

Slan^liter  (if  seals  prior  to  1799 130 

South  Sea.     {Se<'  Pacific  Ocean.) 

Spain : 

Treaty  of  1790  between  Great  Britain  and.    (See  Treaty  of  1790  between 

(Jreat  Britain  and  Spain.) 
Treaty  of  1819  with  United  States.     (See  Treaty  of  1819  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain.) 

Sjianish  coiuitetition  for  Northwest  Coast 29 

Spanish  explorations  on  Northwest  Coast 30 

Spear  used  by  Indian  hunting 189 

Speculation: 

On  s'liall  .supply  of  skius 283 

lVla<;ic  sealing  a 283 

Speech  of  .Sumner 75,79 

Speed  in  swiunuing 119 

Statutes : 

Of  Australia,  protecting  pearl  fisheries 233 

Of  Canada.  ]irotectiug  hair-seals 225 

Of  Ceylon,  protecting  pearl  fisheries 233 

Of  Falkland  Islands,  protecting  fur-seals 221 

Of  l''ranc(,'.  proti'cting  fisheries 234 

OC  (leruiaii.s ,  protecting  iKiir-seula 227 

Of  (ireat  ltril;iiii,  protecting  hair-seals 227 

Of  Holland,  protecting  hair-seals 227 


i 


mu 


SUBJECT-INDKX    OF    CASE.  423 

Statutes — Coatiiined,  j, 

Of  Italy,  .irotcctiug  conil  Hsheiies  , 235 

Of  Mexico,  luotcctiiig  pearl  fisheries 28() 

Of  Newfoiintllaud,  protecting  hair-seals 21'.") 

Of  New  Zealand,  jtrotectiiig  fiir-seals 222 

Of  Norway,  protecting  whales 23(5 

Of  Panama,  protecting  pearl  fisheries    2.!(> 

Of  Russia,  protecting  hair-seals 227,  22X 

Of  Sweden  and  Norway,  protecting  hair-f^cals 227 

Of  United  States.     (See  Alaska.) 

Of  Uruguay,  protecting  fur-.scals 229 

Protecting  game 2;}0 

Protecting  Irish  Oystci-  Heds 2;'2 

Protecting  Sea  Fisheries 22!t 

Scotch  Herring  Fisliery  Ac  2;i2 

St.  George  Island _  17  !)1 

St.  Helena  act 237 

St.  Paul  Island jO  ;n 

Sumner,  speech  of 75  ■;■(( 

Swimming,  speed  of  the  seal  while 11<( 

Territorial  dispute.    (See  Dispute.) 

Tierra  del  Fuego,  seals  of j23 

Time  of  departure.     (See  Departure  from  islands.) 
Trade,  control  of.     (See  T-uisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

Trading  associations,  rivalry  hetween 34 

Transfer  of  Spai  ish  claims  to  the  United  States 33 

Treasury  De])artni('iit.     (See  Executive). 

Treaty  of  Arbitration  of  1892 j  -7 

Additional  documents,  etc ^ 

Documents  and  evidence 0 

Joint  commission j 

Payment  of  award 5 

Printed  case  of  the  United  St  ates i; 

Questions  submitted 2 

Regulations  for  protection  of  seals 3 

Treaty  of  1790  between  (ireat  lUitaiu  and  Spain 31 

Served  as  basis  for  first  articles  of  treaties  of  1824  and  182.") .52 

Treaty  of  181K  between  tbe  United  States  and  (in  at  liritain 32 

Treaty  of  1819  between  the  United  States  and  Spain 33 

Treaty  of  1824  between  the  United  States  and  Russia 51-01 

Coast  thrown  open  to  trade  for  ten  years ,-,)s 

Did  not  throw  open  IJering  Sea  to  I'roe  tishing ."l-r)7,  (il-70 

First  article  based  on  treaty  of  1790  l)etweeu  (iieiit  Mrit.iin  and  S|)Min..  52 

.Inrisdiction  over  Pacific  Ocean  r('lin(|iiisln'<l  by  Kussia .")(),  57 

Object  of  Kussia  in  excluding  Itcring  Sea  fVoni  eU'ect  of 59 

Recognized  RusNia's  rights  in  Hering'Sea 5(j 


ft 


Ihi 


^i' 


424  SUHJECT-INDEX   OF    CASE. 

Treaty  <if  \H'2{  bctwtMii  tlic  United  States  and  KuHsiii— Continued.  Page. 

Keisiillcd  fnini  nkiiscdC  1821 51 

UiiM,si;i  n'liii([iiisli<'d  chtini  to  lar<;e  jiortion  of  Northwest  Coast 5S 

Settle<l  tlie  I  wo-l'old  dis|iiit(! 51 

Treaty  o(  1825  between  (ireat  Britain  and  Rnssia 51-61 

Coast  thrown  open  to  trade  lor  ten  years 58 

l»id  not  throw  open  Herin)^  .Sea  to  free  Ii8hin<; .54-57,61-70 

First  article  based  on  treaty  of  1790  between  (ireat  Britain  and  S|)ain  .  .52 

Jnrisdietion  over  I'aciflr,  Ocean  reliuquislied .56, .57 

Object  ill  exelndinj;;  Bering  Sea  from  ett'ect  of 5i) 

l{eeoj;;ni/.ed  K'nssia's  rights  in  Bering  .Sea .56 

Ticnty  i>i'  18(i7  lietween  tln^  United  8tate8  and  Russia 70-78 

Ceded  part  of  Bering  Sea 70,76 

Conveyed  Russia's  riffhts  over  Alaskan  seal  lierd 72 

Meaning  of  term  "Alaska"  in 80 

Trea  ty  o f  ( i  he n  t ,  3^ 

Tribunal  of  arbitration: 

t^utstlons  for 299 

May  sanction  conduct  of  Unittwl  States 301 

May  prescribe  regulations 301 

(<SYc  aho  Trcstty  of  Arbitration  of  1892.) 

Ukase  of  1799,  foreign  vessels  mti  -penuitted  to  hunt   in  Bering  Sea  under. . .  42 

Ukase  of  1821 .     ( .SV/  aim)  .Jnrisdi-  tion  over  Bering  Sea) 38-51 

Cause  of  t-realies  of  1821  ai!«(i  1825 51 

Declarat<n'y  of  existing  rtfnhts 41.  49 

Extension  of  jurisdietion 42 

LInut  of  100  niUcs,  why  (iliosen 39 

Objects  ot 38 

Proposed  niodilieation  of,  by  Russia 60 

Protests  against,  not  directed  against  Jurts<llction  over  Bering  Sea ,50 

Reason  why  limit  of  100  miles  eliosen   39 

Rights  of  Russia  in  Bering  Sea  conlirmed  by 42,  43 

Pur))ose  of 38 

Vessels  prohibited  from  af>if»roaching  coasts  within  100  miles 39 

United  States: 

Ac(]ulred  Jurisdiction  over  easterly  part  of  Bering  Sea 70,76 

Ac(inire(l  Russia's  rights  as  to  Alaskan  seal  herd ,72,  76,  302 

Action  relative  to  Alaska  since  the  cession.      (See  Alaska.) 

Cession  of  Alaska  to 70 

Claim  of,  before  tln^  Tribunal 299 

Conduct  of,  may  be  sanctioned  by  Tribunal  of  Arbitration 301 

l)o  not  rest  tln-ir  citse  altogether  on  Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea 85 

1  )uty  ol',  to  protect  seal  herd 300 

Modttn  rireiKd  of  1892  between  (ireat  Britain  and.     (See  Modiix  rivendi  of 

1892.) 

Vmtimtx  of  Bering  Sea  ceded  to 70 


ll  1 


Mlij 


SUB.IECT-IWDEX    OF   CASE. 


425 


ITtiited  StHtoN— (iiiidiinerl. 

I'rticliiniatioii  oC  J'rt'sidcnt  of 

I'roix'ity  of,  in  seal  lu'nl 

Proti'st  hy,  iijr  iiist  iikiise.     (See  Protests). 

Piirchiiaed  Alaska  cliic'lly  on  account  of  fur  iiidnsdy 

Recoj;ni/e(l  that  ton  years  tradiiy--  ))rivilc<;e  liail  cxjiircd 

Report  of  Congressional  coniniitteH  on  motives  for  jiurctiasc  of  Alaska 

Revenue  received  by,  from  fur-seals 

Right  of  control  over  seal  herd  niniuestioned 

Ri^ht  of.  to  iiroteot  Alaskan  herd 

Rights  of  Russia  ](assi'd  to 7.) 

Trade  of,  on  Northwest  t'oast 

Treaty  of  Arliitration  of  1«!)2  between  (Jrcat  Uritain  and.     (Sec  Treaty 

of  Arbitration  of  1S1I2.) 

Treaty  of  18IS  between  (ireat  Mritain  anil 

Treaty  of  181!t  betwi'cn  Spa  in  and 

Treaty  of  1824  between    Russia  and.     (See  Treaty  of  1821   between   the 

United  States  and  K'nssia.) 
Treaty  of   1867  between   Russia  and.     (See  Treaty  of  1807  between  tlic 

I'nitcd  States  and  Russia.) 

Truste*!  of  Alaskan  herd 

(See  also  .Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

United  States  Hering  Sea  Commissioners.    (.S'ec  American  I!  .riugSeaCommis. 

sioners.  ) 
United  States  courts,  decisions  of.     (See  Alaska). 
Value  of  fur-seals,  fur-seal  industry,  etc.(.SV/'  Furs ;  Fur-seals ;  United  States.) 

Vegetation  of  I'ribilof  Islands 

Vessels : 

Course  in  Bering  Sea  ()f 

ScluKUUM'  Ada 

Schooner  A  If  red  Adams 

Schooner  Ainiie 

Schooner  Ellen 

First  used  in  pelagic  scaling 

Seized  by  U.  S.  Revenue  (utter 

Vitalii;y: 

Of   )ulls 

Of  ])ups 

Wages  of  emidoyt^s  in  British  sealskin  industry 

Walrus  Island,  sketch  of 

AVaste  of  life  by  (xdagic  sealing 

Waters  fre(inenled  by  sea-otters  and  fur-seals,  not  to  be  cruise. I  in 
Waters  granted  to  Russian  American  Comii.iny-— 

Plan  for  ])atrolling,  in  1854 

Protection  of , . 

L>716 .U 


8;^ 

i(X),  •MY.) 

7t 

.")8, .-)!» 

75 

77 

2!)8 

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7(>  H()2 
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32 
33 


300 


20 


259 
259 
2,59 
259 
187 
81 

112 
107 
279 

18 
190 

47 

ti4-66 
fil-70 


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426  SUBJECT-INDEX   OF   CASE. 

Waters  granted  to  the  Ruhhihii  AiniTican  CompaHy— Continned.  Page. 

To  hi'  visited  coiistiintly  iiiid  in  all  parts 63 

Drivingof  intruders  from '»^»  61-70 

(See  o/«o  Jurisdiction  over  Horing  Scii.) 

Waters  of  Bering  Sea.     (-Sec  Bering  Sea;  Jurisdiction  over  Bering  Sea.) 

Weight: 

Of  hulls ^";^ 

Of  cows ^^- 

Ofpups ^^ 

Whale  fisheries.     (SfC  Fisheries.) 

Whalers,  watched  and  warned  by  eruiserH (53,  6.">,  (57 

White  hunters.     (5cf  Pelagic  seale  s.) 

Wliite  Sea  regulations,  protecting  hair-seals 228 

Woun<led  seals  not  secured 1^^ 

Zoue  for  protection  about  the  islands 258 


^V 


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SUBJECT-INDEX  OF  REPORTS. 


AlnBlcan  fur-seals:  Pnun, 

DirtVreiict'  Ix'tween,  and  Coninuuuler 3l'.l 

Do  not  int*-riiiin<;lo  witli  C'oiiniiiiiider a23 

Migration  of.     (See  Migration.) 

Alaskan  snal  herd : 

Condition  of,  if  untouched  by  man 3I."» 

Decrease  of 309 

Departure  of,  from  ishinds 32!t 

Do  not  breed  on  C'alifi>riii:in  coast 331 

Estimates  of  numbers  exaggerated 3;{;i 

Food  of 3!t3 

Natural  condition  of ICil 

Natural  eneuiies  of 3!)1 

Time,  remain  on  the  islands 31t2 

Ameri(>an  Commi.ssioDers : 

A|)pointment  of 311 

Kcport  of nil 

Sources  of  information  of 33ii 

Appendices: 

A.  Seals  sink  when  killed  in  the  water 381 

B.  Dates  of  arrival  of  fur-seals  at  I'ribilof  Islands,  1871-l«i>l 3X.5 

C.  Pups  born  on  lanil  or  ice  can  not  live  or  nurse  in  water 387 

D.  Natural  enemies 3<)l 

E.  Food  of  the  fur-seal 393 

Appointment  of  Hering  Sea  Commissioners 311 

Bachelors : 

Arrival  of 32.') 

Departure  of 32,5 

Fertili/ation  of  young  cows  by 328 

I$aden-Powcll,  Sir  George,  opinion  of 3(59 

Battles  on  the  rookeries 349 

Bering  Sea  Commission,  arraugenieut  as  to  meetings 314 

Bering  Sea,  season  of  sealing  in 3C5 

Bering  Sea  Commission : 

Conduct  of  investigation  by 313 

427 


li 


i 


'1 


428 


SlinJECT-INDEX    OP    REPOfiTS. 


Uoriiifr  S(Mi  CoiniiiiHNioii — ('i)iitiiinu(l.  Piiu«. 

DiHii^rt'ciiiont  uh  to  iipplication  of  Artirlo  ix 'MH 

DiMUKriM'iiu'iit  of 31(1 

Foiiiiiil  a|>|ioiiitiiH'iit  of 314 

Meetings  of 31") 

Mfetiiifis  of,  held  witlioiit  foriuiil  rc<'<»i'ils 31") 

Necessity  of  sepiiriile  report 318 

Object  of 311' 

Proceed  to  lieriiig  Sen 313 

Reports  of 30") 

Rt.tiiniof 314 

Sources  of  inforinatioii  of 3(W,  313 

Visit  rookeries 333 

Birthrate 3lt) 

Expliuiatioii  of  (liagraiiiB  of 3">:i 

How,  may  1)C  lessened 34t( 

Interference  w'.tli,  injurious 348 

Not  iitl'ected  by  killing  certain  number  of  males .34!) 

On  wliat,  dejtends 351 

Birth.     (Setl'nps,) 

British  Commissioners,  apjiointment  of 311 

Bulls: 

Age  at  which,  go  on  breeding  grounds 328 

Arrival  of,  at  islands 32'i,  38.") 

Battling  of 32") 

Comparative  si/.c  of  cows  and 327 

Copulation 327 

No  lack  of .  - ., 349 

Catch  of  sealing  vessels 3G.5 

Table  of 3(11) 

Causes  of  decrease.     (.SV«  Decrease.) 

Clo.se  season 376 

C.  M.  Lainpson   &  Co..  letter  of 3t)7 

M\ist  practically  prohibit 37G 

Coition.     (.S'tr  Bulls.) 

Conimauder  fur-seals: 

DiH'erencc  between  Alaskan  fur-seals  and 324 

Do  not  intermingle  with  Alaskan 323 

Commissioners.     (See  American  Commissioners  and  iiritisli  Commissioners.) 

Conclusion  as  to  food  and  feeding 396 

Conclusions  of  American  Connuissioners 379 

Condition  of  rookeries.     (.Sec  Rookeries.) 

Copulation.     (Sec  Hulls) 327 

Cows : 

Age  of  puberty  in 328 

Arrival  of,  at  islands 325.  385 


SUBJF.rT-INDEX    OF    REPORTS. 


429 


Cows — Continnod.  ^  Viw- 

ClllHSOH  of H.">  1 

Coiii)iui'uti v<'  size  of  hulls  :uiil  ;{'_'" 

De<'rt!iiN<'  i8  iiinoiiK 'Ml 

DoMti'iKitioii  of,  li,v  i)cl;ii;ic  Mealing 3(n 

EflfcctH  on  iiiiile  life  of  (IcrrciiHc  of Hit 

Fecililifi  exctirsioilH  liy '.I'Ji) 

Fertilization  of  yonn j; 328 

NurNing,  (lestroyi'd  l>y  jn'lanic  sciilinji H(!5 

Out'  rt'asou,  aro  killed  liy  |iflaj;ic  sciilcrs '.\'>H 

Pcr('«ntaj;c  of,  in  catfli  of  stialinj;  vchscIs  3t)7 

Suckle  their  own  iiii|)s 32fi 

Tb«  harem H27 

Death  rate 310 

Ex|iliniation  of  diajiranis  of 3r>2 

Man  (locM  not  neceHsarily  increase 348 

Decrease : 

Caused  by  killing  of  cows 351 

Caused  by  man 31"> 

Cause  of,  mistaken  for  eti'eet 342 

Great,  ill  last  few  years- 334 

In  cows  dillicnlt  to  notice 341 

Is  in  female  portion  of  herd 341 

Native  testimony  as  to .334 

Not  caused  by  lack  of  nuile  life 3 lit 

Of  cows,  etfei't  of,  on  male  lil'e 31 1 

Of  Heal  herd  alHrnuirt  in  joint  rei)ort 3()!t 

Of  seals  has  taken  jdace ;{"<) 

On  Northeast  Point  Rookery ',VXi 

Pelagic  sealing,  cause  of ;il,5,  ;i7;t 

Rookeries  att^'ord  evidence  of ;i;i!»,  :i|() 

Shown  by  daily  killing ;i|:i 

Shown  by  ditliculty  to  obtain  (piota 338 

Shown  by  ditliculty  to  obtain  (]Uota  in  1SS7 312 

Shown  by  diminished  size  of 344 

Undisputed 33K 

Why,  of  cows  not  noticed 344 

Diagrams : 

Conclusions  from 358 

Etfects  shown  by 359 

Ex])lanation  of 352 

Driving.     (See  Management.) 

Enemies,  natural,  of  fur-seal 391 

Evidence  taken  by  Connuissioners 333 

Extermination  innninent 377 

Feeding,  conclusions  as  to 3i)G 

(See  also  Cows.) 


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SUBJECT-INDEX   OF   REPORTS. 


FDod:  p,ge. 

ConcluRion  as  to 396 

Exitminution  mutlo  at  Washiiiston,  T).  C 394 

Examination  made  on  Priliilof  iHlauils 393 

Found  in  stouiuclm 393 

Fer.mlc  seals.    (See  Cows.) 

Flowor,Prof.  Vi'   A 377 

Flower,  Professor,  on  seals 320 

Food 329,393 

Fur-seals 321 

HeringSea 319 

Class  of,  killed 360 

Distinction  between  hair-senls  and 320 

Females:  (See  Cows.) 

Food  of 329 

Homes  of  the 322 

Killin}r  of,  in  the  water.    {See  Pelagic  sealing.) 

Life  history  of 322 

Migrations  of - 323 

Reasons  Pribilof  Islands  are  homes  of 330 

(See  Alaskan  fur-seals.) 

Gaff,  the 363 

Grass  zones,  o  viileuce  of  decrease 339 

Han  in 327 

Diminished  size  of 344 

Hair-seals,  distinction  between  fur-seals  and 320 

Hunters.    (See  Pelagic  sealing.) 
Indiiin  hunters.    (See  Pelagic  sealing.) 

Investigation  by  Bering  ^ea  Commission 313 

Joint  Report 307 

Killer-whales 391 

Killing: 

Of  iiups  for  food 361 

Po8sil)ility  of  restricting 360 

Regulation  of 348 

London  Trade  Sales 369 

Male  seals,  classes  of 351 

Management 362 

Criticisms  of  manner  of  driving 361 

Driving 360 

Mule  seals  not  injured  by  driving 362 

Recommendation  as  to .- 378 

Mannuals,  division  of 319 

Meetings.    (See  Mering  Sea  Commission.) 
Migration : 

Course  of,  northward 324 


SUBJECT-INDKX  OP  REPORTS.  431 

Migration — Continued.  Tage. 

Extent  of 324 

Length  of  time  of 3;i0 

Migration  of  fnr-seals 323 

Northeast  Point  R<H)kery,  decreooe  on ;i33 

Open-8«a,  killing  of  seals.     (See  Pelagic  sealing.) 

Pelagic  sealing 3<53 

Cause  of  decrease  of  Alaskan  herd 373 

,  Compared  with  raids  on  the  rookeries 378 

Compared  with  sealing  on  land 372 

Destruction  of  cows  by 3(j.l 

Destruction  of  nnrsing  cows  by 365 

Great  numbers  wounded  by 370 

Growth  of 371 

History  of srA 

Indian  hunters ;i(53 

Indiscriminate 366, 375 

Licensing  of  no  avail 376 

Manner  of  hunting ;i63 

Must  be  suppressed 380 

One  reason  cows  are  killed  in ;i58 

Percentage  of  cows  in  catch 367 

Percentage  of  seals  lost  in 370 

Prohibition  of.    (See  Prohibition.) 

Season  of,  in  Bering  Sea 365 

The  gaflf 363 

Vessels  and  crew -. 363 

Waste  of  life  caused  by 369 

Yearly  catch 36<i 

Pribilof  Islands,  reasons  for  being  horn*'  of  fur-Hcals XV) 

Percentage  of  seals  lost  in  pelagic  sealing 370 

Progress  of  extermination 377 

Prohibition,  absolute,  necessary 380 

Protection : 

By  close  season.    {See  Close  season.) 

Duty  of,  of  seal  herd  afllrmed 309 

Legalizing;  pelagic  sealing  no 376 

Limit«d,  inadequate 374 

Necessary 374 

Zone  of,  inadequate ., 374 

Provisions  of  agreement  between  United  States  and  Great  Britain 312 

Pups : 

Accidental  births  of,  oft  coast 330 

Aquatic  birth  of,  impossible 327 

Arrival  of,  at  islands 385 

Birth  of  the 326 


432 


SUBJECT-INDEX    OF    KEl'OUTS. 


Pup8— Continued.  T^if- 

Horn  on  land 387 

Can  not  nnrse  in  water 387 

CowH  suckle  only  their  own 326 

Dead,  on  the  rookeries 385 

Dependence  on  their  mothers 326 

Dread  the  water 387 

Effect  of  birth  uf  single 348 

Killed  for  food 361 

Number  of,  at  birth 326 

Podding  of 327 

RaidH  on  the  rookeries 378 

Coin]tared  with  ]>elagic  sealing 378 

Regulation  of  killing »t8 

Report,  joint 307,318 

AfflrniH  tleerease  of  seal  herd 309 

AtfirniH  dnty  to  protect  seal  herd 309 

Conclusions  reached  in 309 

I  >iiference8  of  opinion  nuike  further,  impossible 309 

Report  of  American  Coumiissiouers,  divisions  of 331 

ReportK  of  Mering  Sea  Commission 305 

Reports,  separate,  necessity  of 318 

Ro]tort  of  Treasury  Ag(uit  Goft" 343 

Report  of  United  iStafcs  Bering  Sea  Commissioners.     (See  Report  of  American 

Commissioners) i- 311 

Rookeries: 

Dead  pups  on'i^^  !'. 3ffi 

^^yidene^  of  decrease  afforded  by 339 

I'rosebt  condition  of 332 

Raids  on 378 

Russian  seal  herd.    (See  Commander  fur-seals.) 
Seal  killing  at  sea.     (See  Pelagic  sealing). 

Sealing  on  land  compared  with  pelagic  sealing 372 

Sealing  vessels,  catch  of 365 

Seals.    (See  Fur-seals  and  hair-seals.) 

Sealskins,  London  sale  of 369 

Sinking: 

Of  Antarctic  fur-seals 382 

Of  fur-seals :«! 

Of  hair-seals 381,:tt2 

Of  seals  when  killed  in  the  water 381 

Reason  for,  of  seals 383 

Sources  of  information  of  Bering  Sea  Commissioa *. 308 

Testimony  taken  by  Commission,  extracts  from 336 

Treaty : 

Application  of 316 


wmm 


SUBJECT- INDEX    OF    UEPOUTS.  433 

Treaty— Coiitinni'd.  p 

Article  IX  of 3lg 

Difl'ereiitly  interpretinl  by  Ainuricaii  ami  niitisb 317 

Results  of  upplication  of 317 

Treaty,  provisiuus  of 307 

Waste  of  life.     (S«;#  Pelagic  sonliiig.) 

Witnesses  before  CouiuiisHiou 3;);j 

Witnesses  exa  uiined 335 

Worn  rocks,  evidence  of  decioase 3;{y 

Wonmling  of  seals  by  pelagic  soaliug 370 

Zone  of  prohibition : 

Impossible  to  liiin tain 37(j 

Inade(iuate     jjy  I 

2710 55 


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